WOLMER'S AKEEM Smith and St. Jago's Crisdale McCarthy shone brightest at the National Stadium East complex on Friday night.

The occasion was the second staging of Hurdles Fest, hosted by Grace Jackson, chairperson of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association competition's committee.

Smith took the Class One boys' 110m hurdles in an impressive 13.85 seconds. Smith's time would have easily won at Champs last year as his time then was 13.99.

Antoniel Thomas of KC (14.44) was second.

McCarthy, who is a strong favourite for Champs, won the girls' Class Four 70m hurdles in 11.23 seconds. She left Chelsea Montaque of St. Andrew High (11.85) and Shenell Francis of St. Jago (11.86) fighting for the minor placings.

Vere Technical's Lanice Hall won two events. Hall captured the 80m Class Three race in 11.78 ahead of Ackiesha Burnett of Wolmer's (11.85) and returned minutes later to win the 300m hurdles in 44.91. Shermaine Williams of Alpha won the Class Two event in 13.64 while St. Jago's World Youth silver medallist Natasha Ruddock took the Class One event in 14.05.

Jerome Myers of Calabar took boys' Class Two in 14.26 while Demar Wilson of KC (13.51) was the Class Three winner.

Kyle Robinson of Jamaica College won the Class Four boys' 80m event in 12.22.

In the long distances, St. Jago's Shanique Smikle (61.99) won the girls' Under-20 400m hurdles while her schoolmate, Riker Hylton (51.85), took the boys' Open.