Cornwall favoured in west

By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

CORNWALL College will start the defence of their County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA) Boys' Western Championships this morning with the eliminations set for Herbert Morrison Technical starting at 9:00 am.

The new look championships will see the events spread over three days with the combined finals set for next Tuesday, February 12 at Cornwall College.

The Girls' Eliminations will be staged at St. Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) on Thursday, also starting at 9:00 am.

STETHS will be seeking their fourth straight girls' title.

Cornwall College will take the biggest team into today's eliminations with 60 athletes down to compete, three more than Munro who they dethroned last year, winning by a thin margin of 2 1/2 points.

In one of the closest competitions in the 27-year history of the event, 14 1/2 points separated the top three schools. Cornwall, who finished second to Munro in the last two stagings, and one of only two schools with two competitors in every event, scored 265 1/2 points, to edge the former champions who finished with 263 with the ever improving Herbert Morrison just further back in the third place with 251 points.

Former champions St. Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) with 186 and Mannings with 133 rounded out the top five as 23 schools took part in the event.

Today, 18 schools were confirmed with nearly 600 athletes with second year entrants Lewisville, fielding a team of 40 competitors while Cambridge will have 43.

Defending champions Cornwall College will start favourites to repeat last year's win, having lost just three athletes who scored points last year when the meet was hosted by Rusea's Comprehensive.

Former champions St. Elizabeth Technical and Munro along with Herbert Morrison will all have a say in which team comes out on top at the end while a number of other schools will be scoring points throughout the meet.

While it may be difficult to accurately predict the final outcome, a number of athletes are expected to turn in outstanding performances.

National junior representatives Usain Bolt of William Knibb Memorial and Green Island's Damion Young should dominate in their events. Bolt is the island's top Class Two 200m/400m runner while Young should win the Class One Long Jump and will be a factor in the 100m as well after running 10.5 seconds at an early season meet.

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