IN ADDITION, the outstanding male and female athlete will walk away with The Gleaner/Youthlink award.
"Like in former years, we are expecting the clash between the top schools to generate a lot of excitement for the fans," said Harvey. In fact, there should be a lot of excitement in all the categories."
The 4x100m club/institution men's race, which will feature Powell's MVP team, could produce something special as the quartet of Powell, Michael Frater, Ainsley Waugh and Winston Simpson should not only shatter the meet record but could also put the national record under threat.
Their female equivalent, which includes Olympians Bridgette Foster-Hylton and Sherone Simpson, should also sparkle in their sprint relay.
While patrons will once again be faced with the inconvenience of no spectator stands, the organisers will be using state- of-the-art technology to make the experience less stressful. According to Harvey, giant video screens will be strategically placed around the venue so that spectators, coaches and athletes will be able to view both live races and replays.
Milo, which has been sponsoring the Western Relays non-stop since 1994, announced an increased package for this year's championship, stepping up from last year's $400,000 to $500,000. That is in addition to the $200,000 scholarship bursary that will go to one of the meet's outstanding athletes.
"We are totally committed to the Milo Western Relays," said Milo's consumer marketing manager Kenneth Dodd, as he spoke at the recent launch of the championship. "The over $700,000 we have investment in this year's championship underscores Milo's commitment to
building future champions."
Mannings High School sports mistress Diana Gopaul-Singh, one of the outstanding personalities in western track and field, will be the patron of this year's meet.
