Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Yohan Blake and Schillonie Calvert

WHILE MOST eyes will be on the seniors at this year's National Championships, the juniors will be fighting for spots on the World Youth and Pan Am Championships teams.

Top junior such as Yohan Blake, the national junior record holder over 100m, Ramone McKenzie and Schillonie Calvert are also good enough to make the senior teams and, from all indications, they will make an attempt.

But apart from the top trio, St. Thomas Technical's Carrie Russell, the World Junior Championships bronze medallist, Shana-Gay Tracey of Manchester High, Danielle Jeffrey of Immaculate, Latoya McDermott of St. Andrew, Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison and Kerion Stewart of Kingston College (KC), among others, will be starring in their own show.

The fact that Blake will be running against the seniors should demand a lot of attention, as only on the day the question of if he can beat Michael Frater, Dwight Thomas, Steve Mullings, Nesta Carter and Carl Barrett will be answered.

Blake ran 10.21 to break the Champs record this season and then a week later, at the Carifta Games in Turks & Caicos, he ran 10.18 to break Raymond Stewart's 22-year-old record of 10.19. He then lowered the mark to 10.11 in the final, which prompted calls for him to face-off with the seniors at the Jamaica International; a call his coach ignored.

surprise

McKenzie is also a top junior who can surprise many at the senior level in whichever event he chooses to run - 200m or 400m, and he should at least make the final.

If he decides to go in the 200m, Usain Bolt, Chris Williams, Omar Brown, Ricardo Williams and Steve Mullings should give him a real test while Ricardo Chambers, Jermaine Gonzales, Michael Blackwood, Sanjay Ayre and Davian Clarke are the 400m men to beat.

Calvert will once again be tested against the likes of Veronica Campbell, Sherone Simpson, Aleen Bailey, Kerron Stewart and Simone Facey in the sprints.

There are quite a few interesting battles on the cards. Jeffrey against Russell in the sprints should be hot. An injury to Russell kept them apart at Champs.

McDermott and Tracey, two talented quarter-milers, should again battle in the 400m and McDermott would want to avenge her Champs defeat.

In the sprints, Lee, in the absence of Blake, should have things his way, so too Shermaine Williams.

Bobbie-Gay Wilkins, Keno Haven and Vanessa Boyd of Holmwood, Oshane Barham, André Peart and Donahue Williams of KC, André Collins and Waqar DaCosta of Jamaica College (JC), world youth 200m bronze medalist Latoya King of St. Jago, Darion Bent of Manning's and Antonique Campbell of Herbert Morrison are all expected to perform well.