Christopher Taylor breaks Devaughn Baker’s Class 2 400M record during prelims with a time of 46.33. He now holds the Class 3 and Class 2 records. This is the first record of Champs2016 and the first recipient of the $25K scholarship offered by sponsors Grace Kennedy to the individual or team to break a record.
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Team Jamaica takes this opportunity to wish national representative Salcia Slack a speedy recovery following news that the versatile and determined competitor suffered an injury at a meet in the USA yesterday. The 26 year old who represented Jamaica at the IAAF World Championship in Beijing last year and who was just a few days ago named in a 24 member team to take part at the 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon suffered the injury at a NCAA Division II meet. Slack who represents New Mexico Highland’s University was competing in the women’s Triple Jump and actually won the title with a best effort of 12.88m which came in the 5th round. That win came at a cost as the much-decorated Division II athlete injured herself and needed immediate medical attention. The incident delayed the start of the final round of jumps by over 20 minutes. Slack was taken via ambulance to a nearby medical facility. Team Jamaica was unable to ascertain the extent of her injuries which has cast doubt over her participation at the World Indoor Championships. Slack is no stranger to serious injuries especially given her participation in the multi […]
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Former world record holder and two time IAAF World Championship Bronze medalist over 100m Asafa Powell and Danielle ‘Ants’ Williams, the 2015 IAAF World Champion over 100m Hurdles headline a strong 24 member Jamaican contingent to the 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships scheduled for Portland, Oregon from March 17 – 20. Powell who will be competing at his second World Indoor Championships, is among 11 men who will be donning the national colours at the biennial event. The 33 year has never won individual Gold at a ‘Global’ championship and will be hoping to convert on this glorious opportunity. The self styled ‘Sub 10 King’ is the 3rd fastest over the distance this year with 6.49 seconds. Other members of the men’s team are Omar McLeod, ranked number two in the world (7.46) and a strong contender for a medal in the 60m hurdles, Odean Skeen, Kevaughn Rattray, Ricardo Chambers, Fitzroy Dunkley, Kemoy Campbell, Nathon Allen, Dane Hyatt, Demar Murray and the much improved GC Foster College quarter-mile Demish Gaye. Williams is joined on the women’s team by the progressive Elaine Thompson, Silver medalist at the Beijing World Championships, Shanieka Thomas who made the […]
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Cemore Donald reigns supreme as the queen of middle distance among her peers and is perhaps second only to STETH’s super 1st year Class One athlete Junelle Bromfield among local schoolgirls. Donald, the defending champion for the Girls Class Three 800m should be racing the clock from a long way out in her quest for back to back titles. The easy striding Edwin Allen High School athlete should erase Natoya Goule’s decade old meet record of 2.09.60. In her last race before ‘Champs’, Donald ran a superb 2.08.85, almost a full second faster than Goule’s mark set in 2006, to easily dismiss the talented Chrissani May, a 2nd year Class Two athlete at the CARIFTA Trials. She later returned to beat a quality field in the 1500M, accounting for the scalp of another top Class Two athlete, Britnie Dixon of Vere Technical High School. Donald has been untouchable all season and looks a safe bet for 18 points in her two main events, the 1500m and the 800m. The Girls 3000m Open could also be hers for the taking if Coach Michael Dyke sees the need. She forms part of a strong Class Three contingent for […]
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Ashley “Felix” Williams has one mission when ‘Champs’ gets underway on March 15 and culminates on March 19 – four Gold Medals. The Holmwood Technical High star with the intense focus is aiming for wins in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay. Judging by her performances this season, such a feat would hardly surprise. Her idol is said to be Allyson Felix, the super versatile American who has won multiple gold medals over all four events at the Olympics and World Championships. Some say her running style, grit and determination bears some resemblance to that of the American, hence her taking on the moniker ‘Felix’. Williams is seen as the biggest threat to STETHS star Junelle Bromfield over 400m having run a personal best 52.72 to win the event at Central Champs. Only Bromfield has gone faster among the potential field for the finals and Williams may go into that mouth-watering match-up with the psychological advantage having out-gunned the Commonwealth Youth Champion on anchor in a 4x400m relay several weeks ago. Williams knows that Bromfield will be hard to beat but has the confidence and ability to stop her once again. Shannon Kalawan of Edwin […]
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Devaughn Baker’s Class Two 400m record of 46.64 was granted a stay of execution by Christopher Taylor last year. Taylor had breached the sub 46 barrier twice before ‘Champs’ 2015 and for some it was a foregone conclusion that the record would have been obliterated by the Calabar High School phenom. A rather conservative and some say team-focused approach by the then 15 year saw the record surviving another year on life support. This precocious talent could well take it to another stratosphere by dipping under 45 seconds. So gifted and confident is the 2015 IAAF World Youth Champion, that he could once again attempt to break it in the heats as he did the Class Three record back in 2014. Taylor is undoubtedly one of the star attractions expected to be on display at the world’s premier high school track and field championships. He mined two individual golds last year and anchored his team’s mile relay squad to a super impressive win. The only blot on his copy book was the 4x100m where the Calabar super Class Two team unexpectedly crashed out in the heats. Taylor is expected to romp home in both the 200m […]
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Junelle Bromfield is a household name in Jamaican high school track and field. The St. Elizabeth High School standout is as versatile as they come representing Jamaica on the global and regional scene in multiple events including the 400m and 400m hurdles, winning gold in both at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games. Bromfield steps up to compete in Class One and looks set to continue her dominance. The big question is which events will she participate in? The 2015 World Youth Championship 400m hurdles finalist has not tackled the obstacle event all season, casting much doubt on her participation in what could be one of the races of ‘Champs’ with the likes of 2016 leader Shannon Kalawan of Edwin Allen, Nicolee Foster of Holmwood Technical, Sanique Walker of Vere Technical, Andrenette Knight of St. Jago and Shian Salmon of Hydel High. So good is Bromfield, however that she could report for duty and make up for last year’s disaster where she crashed out in the preliminaries. Bromfield is the season leader in both the 800m (2.06.61) and the 400m (52.43). She has also run some brilliant anchor legs for her school’s mile relay team with […]
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New year but the same old problems apparently persist. It was the usual hassle for potential ‘Champs’ patrons as tickets went on sale for the 2016 edition of the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships scheduled for the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Fans gathered from early as 4 a.m. hoping to get the much sought after but very limited Grand Stand tickets for Saturday’s closing day, when thousands are expected to pack into the venue, home to arguably the world’s premier high school track and field championships. The ticket office opened at 8 a.m and if one were to go by the initial traffic, the assumption could be made that things would flow smoothly. That was short-lived however and later in the day, angry individuals who were unable to acquire Grand Stand tickets for Saturday vented their frustration. The discontent grew when it became obvious that those tickets had quickly become unavailable. The anger was directed at the ISSA officials present including Albert Corcho, executive member and Principal of Calabar High School. “Jamaica must be the only country in the world where scalpers can purchase an unlimited amount of tickets for an event such as champs […]
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The stadium commentator found it difficult to contain himself, urging the spectators in attendance to look at the clock. Those gathered did not need a second invitation. Akeem Bloomfield’s first 350m in the finals of the U20 Boys 400m was so impressive that many were anticipating a very fast time. It proved to be anti-climatic, however as the National Junior Record Holder slowed considerably, almost to a walk to coast in with a respectable 46.51 ahead of the improving Sean Bailey of St. Jago High who finished a flattering 2nd in 46.76. After that display and with just over a week to go before ‘Champs’ it would take a brave man to bet against the 18 year old Kingston College student. The U20 Girls 400m finals was billed as a showdown between 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships Bronze medalist Tiffany James of Mico University College and St. Jago’s Alysha Kelly. James ran a measured first 100m while Kelly was off to a blistering start. James, the former Papine High standout picked up the pace to come into the straight with a big advantage moving away from rivals for an emphatic win in a career best 52.53 eclipsing her […]
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They ran in separate finals but each in his own way sent a message to the other and to all their rivals ahead of ‘Champs’ 2016, when they are expected to face off in a blockbuster clash. Jhevaughn Matherson of Kingston College and Nigel Ellis of St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) sent tongues wagging on Day 1 of the 2016 CARIFTA Trials with impressive wins in the finals of the 100m for U18 and U20 boys. Matherson whose 2015 season was derailed by injury, showed in no uncertain manner that he was back to his best, stopping the clock at 10.25 (0.9 m/s) to win the U18 finals ahead of the powerfully built Dejour Russell of Calabar who ran a personal best 10.39. Matherson a.k.a. ‘Mr.Smooth’ who stumbled badly in his heat earlier in the day, looked to be in imperious form, breaking the National Youth Record (U18) held jointly by Jhazeel Murphy and Raheem Chambers. The 17 year old whose previous best was 10.37 will now turn his attention to the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships (‘Champs’) from March 15-19 and the much anticipated showdown with Nigel Ellis. Ellis was no less impressive […]
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