Holmwood's Deborah Rose hurls the shot put on her way to a record 12.57m throw on yesterday's second day of the 2007 Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
DEBORAH ROSE and Salcia Slack were the bright sparks for defending champions Holmwood on yesterday's second day of the 2007 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.
The duo's victories helped cut Vere's lead to three points, 53 to 50. St. Andrew (32.5), Manchester (28.8) and Edwin Allen (27) rounded off the top five after seven finals.
Calabar, led by Andrew Riley's victory (4,897 points) in the boys' heptathlon, led the section with 39 points, ahead of Jamaicaa College (JC) (31) and Wolmer's (23).
Kingston College (KC), who suffered a setback with the failure of Donahue Williams to make the Class Two 800m final in which he was considered a certain medal winner, are fourth on 11 points, while St. Jago are fifth with 10.
Rose and Slack, along with Waqar DaCosta of JC and Bellefield's Kemoy Campbell were the record breakers of the day.
In the girls' shot put Open final, Rose threw 12.57 metres for the new record to beat Vere's Keniesha Throughsingh (12.00m) and Latanya Nation (11.54m).
Set a record
Slack's record came in the long jump for Class Two girls with a leap of 6.11m to beat Elva Goulbourne of Dinthill and St. Jago's Tamara Francis's mark of 6.02m set in 1997 and 2004, respectively. Vere's Jillisa Grant (5.88m) and Meisha-Gaye DaCosta of Immaculate (5.81m) were second and third, respectively.
DaCosta's record came in the boys' Class Three 800m with a brilliant 1:58.06 run. He erased the old mark of 1:58.24 held by Theon O'Connor since 2003. He ran alone from start to finish and afterwards said it was all part of his race plan.
"The plan was to break the record in the heats," DaCosta said. He noted that his target was not fully achieved as he wanted to run 1:55 seconds.
"The plan is to run it in the final, but I will need some competition, which is expected from my teammate Earl Grant," he added.
Grant was second in his semi-final in 2:04.65.
Lowered mark
The day's other record came when Campbell stopped the clock in 4:01.02 seconds to lower the boys' Class Two 1500m mark which was held by KC's Donahue Williams (4: 02.50).
Ramone Berch of JC threw the discus 48.78m to beat Munro College's Omar Bryan (45.09) and Calabar's Noel Facey (44.35m).
The boys' Class Three high jump title went to Bridgeport's Jamiel Cunningham, who cleared 1.75m to beat Calabar's Bryan Biggs (1.75m) and JC's David Hall ( 1.75m).
In the girls' Class Three high jump, St. Andrew High's Kathie-Lee Laidley cleared 1.65m to take the gold medal ahead of Vere's Shanika Thomas (1.60).
Alpha's Sedeen Cesvette, Shauna-Kay Creary of St. Andrew High, St. Elizabeth Technical's Rochelle Reid and Manchester High's Monique Senior, all cleared 1.60m to share third place.
Blake, Rose clash still doubtful
( L - R ) Blake and Rose
IT STILL remains uncertain if spectators at the 2007 ISSA/ GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships will be treated to a long-anticipated 100m sprint clash between Remaldo Rose and Yohan Blake.
Both are World Junior Champion-ships bronze medallists - Rose from 2004 in Grosseto, Italy, while Blake secured his at last year's Championships in Beijing, China.
Rose, who returned to the island recently from Texas where he was examined by a specialist, is the defending champion while Blake won the Class Two title last year in a record 10.34 seconds.
Still feeling pain
"I am still feeling pain," Rose, who won last year's event in 10.30 seconds, said while referring to a hamstring injury. "After the semi-finals we will know if I will continue (run the final)," added Rose, whose personal best is 10.29.
Rose, a senior athlete, is more focused on the World Championships and, according to many track and field experts, there is no reason to risk him at this point.
"After this meet I am going to rest," he said, while making it clear the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, were his main aim this season.
Blake, whose personal best is 10.33, is simply focusing on the task ahead.
He was quick to say he has "no problems" and reminded everyone they had not yet seen his best."I don't put out anything yet,"
Blake said. " Tomorrow (today), I definitely will be going for the record. The first thing is to win, but I am going for the record," he said.
The record is 10.24 held by Tesfa Latty formerly of St. George's College.
- A.F.
