LAST WEEKEND'S Carifta Games Trials, which provided several top-class battles among athletes who were seeking to represent Jamaica, is history.

Now it's time for the big moment - Champs 2007 - which every track and field fan eagerly awaits.

But before I look on the expectations for Champs 2007, let's look back at last weekend's Carifta Trials at the National Stadium East complex.

As usual, there were several positives but a few negatives arose as well.

There were eight top performances as far as I was concerned; maybe there were more, but these are my picks.

First, the performance of Kingston College's (KC) Kerion Stewart in the boys' Under-20 110m hurdles tops the list.

Apart from the fact that his 13.71 seconds was a national junior record, the class of the sprinter was on show, especially running against a -3.2 head wind to beat Jamaica College's Andre Collins (14.05) and Calabar's Warren Weir (14.11).

In the 400m, Holmwood's Bobby-Gaye Wilkins demonstrated that she is the best schoolgirl quarter-miler in the region by running a world junior leading and personal best 52.03 to win the Under-20 girls' event ahead of Vere Technical's Kayon Robinson (53.57).

In a competitive Under-20 400m hurdles, the top four girls enjoyed personal best times, Andrea Reid of Holmwood (58.08) came out on top over Manchester High's pair of Shana-Gaye Tracey (58.17), Judith Riley (58.44) and Edwin Allen's Andrea Sutherland (58.54), and these performances must be recognised, though the national junior record is 55.11 held by World Junior champion Kaliese Spencer.

Also, another performance worth special mention was that of JC's 13-year-old Class Three athlete Waquar DaCosta, who ran a well-timed 1:55.37 to beat Donahue Williams of KC (1:55.38) in the boys' Under-17 800m.

The negatives

Now, let's look at the negatives. Many complained and may still be complaining about the reinstatement of Yohan Blake in the boys' Under-20 100m final which was divided into two sections.

You heard this and that, but after spending time to listen, I came up with my own verdict. If it is true that Blake was not told of the rule change, which was moving from heat winners to advancing to eight fastest times, he was right to protest and the organisers were right to reinstate him.

Jamaica's IAAF Area Technical Official, Freddy Green, said rules can be changed to facilitate "special" athletes.

Best sprint hurdlers

Also, Champs would be without one of its best sprint hurdlers in Wolmer's Akeen Smith, who pulled up in the 100m finals, and KC's Andre Peart who broke his hand.

The argument of athletes being 'over-worked' came up once again and Herbert Morrison's pair of Keneil Lee and Antonique Campbell were identified as two athletes who did more than what they could manage. They contested the 100m, 200m and 400m races and this should not happen.

Lee finished ninth overall in the two-section finals with a time of 10.95, this after his 10.94 run in the heats. He ran 22.5 and 52.67 and did not make the 200m and 400m finals, which probably proved he was tired.

Campbell finished second in the girls' Under-17 100m in 12.21 seconds, this after running the heats in 12.74. She ran the 400m heat the same day, Saturday, but her 57.54 was ninth overall and just missed the final.

She returned to run 24.68 in the heats and 24.53 to win the final on Sunday.

Again, I repeat my call, someone needs to have a serious talk with these coaches, first Rayon Patterson of St. Thomas Technical, who used Carrie Russell to run five events at Eastern Champs, now Claude Grant of Herbert Morrison for his decision to run Campbell and Lee in three individual events, just for a place on Jamaica's team.

For Champs, Calabar and Holmwood will win ... that's all I have to say for now.

If you agree, or disagree, link me at anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com