Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

Gerald Bascoe of G.C. Foster jumps 7.44 metres to win the men's long jump competition on the final day of the Inter-collegiate Track and Field Championships at Stadium East yesterday.- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

STEPHEN FRANCIS, coach of the University of Technology (UTech) team, angrily withdrew his athletes halfway through yesterday's final day of the Inter-collegiate Sports Association Athletic Championships at Stadium East.

Francis was upset with the lane placements for two of his athletes in the women's 400 metres final.

Lane placement

Norris Davis, a member of the meet's organising committee, said Francis was angry with the meet officials for placing his athletes lanes one and eight instead of middle lanes.

"Francis said his athletes had the fastest times going into the finals so they should have been in the middle lanes," said Davis, who added the lanes was randomly selected by the meet manager's computer software.

"The meet officials were willing to accommodate him, but he was very arrogant to the officials and he pulled his athletes from the championships," he said.

Efforts to reach Francis yesterday for comment proved futile as his cell phone rang withoutan answer.

Meanwhile, G.C. Foster College's male and females emerged the champions of this year's event.

G.C. Foster won the women's section with 213 points with second place going to the University of the West Indies (UWI) with (106). UTech (74) and Knox College (55) were third and fourth. G.C. Foster's men, with 220 points, won that section ahead of UWI (95), UTech (85) and Knox College (64).

G.C. Foster's Rosemarie Whyte was in fine form yesterday. She won the 200m in 24.32 from teammate Sudian Davis (24.64) and UWI's Shana Lee Archibald (26.18) and then returned to capture the 400m in 53.47 ahead of teammate Jeraine Bolt (54.98) and Archibald (58.34).

G.C. Foster's Gerald Bascoe won the men's long jump with a leap of 7.44 in front of Excelsior Community College's Jermaine Jackson (7.28).

Melisha Thomas of UWI capture the women's 1,500m in 4:57.43 ahead of teammate Aisha Hume (5:00.77) and G.C. Foster's Tamica Thomas (5:01.28).

Carl Barrett of G.C. Foster won the men's 100m in 10.37 ahead of the UTech pair of Mario Forsythe (10.53) and Ryan James (10.56).

Adrae Drummond of UTech won the men's 1,500m in 4:01.59 with teammate Zavion DaCosta (4: 03.51) and G.C. Foster's Kenyatt Osbourne (4:03.81) filling the minor placings.

Derrick Hines of G.C Foster College won the men's shot put with a throw of 15.72m. Portmore College's Jermaine Sherrif (13.12m) was well behind in second.

UWI's Frank McKook capture the men's high jump in 2.00m ahead of G.C. Foster's Dellan Brown 1.95m.

G.C Foster won the women's 4x100m relay in 46.75 ahead of UWI (50. 41) and Knox College (51.01). Shericka Williams of UTech won the women's 100m in 11.45 with teammate Shelly Ann Fraser (11.52) and G.C Foster's Kaydene Mason (11.84) coming in second and third.