By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport EditorDEFENDING VMBS girls champions Holmwood Technical, under the very good track and field coach Maurice Wilson, are known for producing quality athletes and this year will be no different.
Last year Wilson led Holmwood's girls to their first-ever hold on the championship trophy and Wilson would dearly like to lift the cup again, not only to prove that last year was no fluke. He wants to give what is termed a 'send-off gift' to the senior girls who have served his team and the country well.
"I will be very disappointed if I lose," Wilson said on Sunday.
"We have come a far way this season and we are looking to come out on top. We also have some athletes like Tracy-Ann Rowe, Peta-Gaye Beckford and Althea Duncan who have served the team and the country well and winning would be a good send-off gift for them."
Wilson will have a comparatively small team of 30 girls at the championships but as always his motto is quality not quantity and he expects his Class 1 and Class 2 girls to blow away the opposition and set up another memorable victory.
In Class 1 Holmwood will be led by the 2002 World Junior 200 metres silver medalist Anneisha McLaughlin. On Sunday Wilson was still trying to decide which events his star athlete would compete in. She appeared set for the 200m but he seemed unsure whether it would be the 100m-200m or 200m-400m combination. It is very likely it could be the latter as Vere Technical's Simone Facey, the 2002 World Junior Championships 100m silver medal winner, will be hard to beat in the short sprint.
Holmwood will also be looking to Nyoka Cole in the 400m and 400m hurdles, Celia White in the 800m and 1500m, Peta-Gaye Beckford in the long jump and the Class 1 sprint relay to score heavily.
Holmwood ran 44.81 seconds in the 4x100m for gold at the February 28 Gibson Relays and barring mishap will be racing against the clock at the championships.
Wilson is hunting a 100m to 800m sweep in Class 2. Anasticia Le-Roy with wind-assisted times of 11.80 and 23.9 this season is the hot favourite for the sprint double while Sonita Sutherland has the 400m wrapped up following her 53.1 at the Carifta Trials.
Vanessa Boyd will run in the 800m along with Cassandra Powell.
Wilson expects Rose-Marie Whyte who has gone up to 6.15m this season to win the Class 2 long jump and be among the top four in the high jump.
"I also expect the girls to win the Class 2 4x100m," Wilson said.
The Holmwood coach is eyeing a glut of points in the open events.
DECLINED TO NAME
He declined to name the athlete but was confident Holmwood would win the triple jump open and shot put open with Peta-Gaye Beckford. National junior record holder Shaneka Parkes is way ahead of her rivals in the javelin open and Holmwood have been dominating the 4x400m open all season. They won the Gibson Relays title in 3:39.24.
"We also have a fairly good team in the medley relay open and can win but it will depend a lot on the 800m leg," Wilson added.
Wilson was not expecting much in the two lowest classes.
"In Class 4 we have Chrystal Hemmings, a cousin of Olympic gold medalist Deon Hemmings. She will do the 200m and 70m hurdles but we do not expect any points from her. Taneisha Blair in Class 3 will be doing numerous events and we expect her to be among the finalists in the javelin open.
"Our best athlete in Class 3 is Bobby-Gaye Wilkins who did 56.65 at the Carifta Trials and I expect her to win at Champs," Wilson said.
