Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Left: Kingston College's track team captain Leford Green celebrates after winning the boys Class One 400 metres final at the VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday. Green won in 45.82 seconds. Right: Kingston College (KC) supporters celebrate in the bleachers at the VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday. KC (233.5 points) won the boys section for the sixth consecutive year, beating Calabar (231.5) by two points. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
KINGSTON COLLEGE (KC) became the second schoolboy track & field team to win more than five straight titles twice, following Saturday night's two-point victory over Calabar at the 2006 VMBS/ISSA Boys & Girls Championships.
With six straight titles now, the North Street-based boys are trying to repeat it's success of 14 straight titles between 1962-1975.
KC won with 233.5 points ahead of Calabar (231.5), JC (139.33), Wolmer's (118.5), St. Jago (97), Herbert Morrison (71), Camperdown (69), Holmwood (60), Bridgeport (55) and Munro (46.5).
Champs preview, the official programme of the event, predicted that KC would have won by over 95 points.
CLOSE BATTLE
Given the unexpected tight finish, KC's head coach, Lennox Graham, expressed delight but blamed injuries for the close battle.
"We are happy for the victory, we will take the victory, but we have a lot of things we have to revisit.
"We had a lot of injuries and when you start having a lot of injuries you have to look inside yourself and wonder why.
"In terms of the team I am very proud of this team. We have Wellington going down (injured), Cawayne had problems, but the other guys fought."
He also made special mention of Class Two sprinter Kerion Stewart, who got injured in the hurdles final but was determined to run in the 200m final.
He also hailed the persons who supported him.
"I want to thank all my coaches, everybody who stepped up and helped us, parents who came and help us the nutrition programme, all the support staff, the fans, old boys, they kept believing in us when the chips were down."
Graham also hailed his opposite number from Calabar, Michael Clarke, for his work.
"Great job by Michael Clarke and Calabar. They came to win, they always come to win. Clarke said to me, 'we will be back next year'. He said that last year and he is going to keep coming back."
Graham admitted being nervous at one point when Calabar were leading on 211.5 and they were on 210.
"Of course we were concerned, but we knew that once we kept doing what we did over the past days, in terms of scoring points in the finals, we knew we were going to win.
"The boys didn't give up. They knew we had something coming and they were going to keep trying and trying until we succeeded."
'I FEEL GREAT'
Commenting on his team's success, KC's captain Leford Green said: "I feel great because we trained hard and worked hard towards this.
"We just went out there and did our best," added Green, who won the 400m and finished second in the 400m hurdles.
Another of their leading performers, Alain Bailey, who won the high and triple jumps, and placed second in the long jump, said: "It's a pleasure to be on the Kingston College winning team six years straight."
Andre Wellington, another of their main Class One athletes who watched most of the championships from the stands due to injury, added his bit.
"I feel great but a little bit disappointed at the same time. I am really happy that my team took home the trophy.
Wellington said his absence prevented the team from winning by a wider margin.
"We lost a lot of points in the sprints and I think that's why it was that close."
