By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer MORANT BAY'S long jumper Wilbert Walker produced an impressive jump, but his school and defending champions Kingston College (KC) shared the lead going into today's second day of the 2004 VMBS Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.
Walker leapt 7.69 metres, the best jump by a schoolboy at Champs since Vere's Leon Gordon did 7.87m in 1993. KC's pair of Alain Bailey (7.22) and Dorran Coley (68.87) finished third and sixth respectively, which made sure their school kept up with the early pace.
St. George's Adrian Wiltshire was second with a leap of 7.58.
Defending champions KC and Morant Bay have nine points each after one final. The top two are followed by St. George's (seven), Wolmer's (five), Bridgeport (four) and St. Jago (three).
Calabar's Josef Robertson ran 53.1 to lead the qualifiers heading into the final of the 400m hurdles. Munro's Oliver Cargill (53.5), Wolmer's Tywayne Buchanan (53.6) and St. Jago's Markino Buckley (54.3) are also in the event.
Kawayne Fisher of Vere (21.44), Manchester's Nester Carter (21.69), Norman Manley's Michael Gardener (21.79), Ryan Wright of Herbert Morrison (21.99), Arnardo Elliott of Holmwood (21.64), Dwight Mullings of St. Jago (21.79) and Greg Graham of Morant Bay (21.84) topped the boys' Class One 200m semi-finalists.
Dwain Bryden of Seaforth, a quality sprinter who won the 100m and 200m at February's Grace Jackson Meet, pulled up in the 200m preliminaries.
Also suffering an injury on yesterday's opening day was Mekel Downer, Holmwood's Class Two 200m runner. Edward Hector, head coach for the boys' team, said it's an old injury, which the doctor said will rule him out of the remainder of the championships.
In the boys' Class Three 200m, Triston Taylor of Central is the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals. In the Class One 800m, favourite Davian Parker (1:55.8) has the fastest time going into the semi-finals.
