ROAD TO CHAMPS | #CHAMPS22 McGregor expects big run from Lyston at Champs

As Jamaica’s high school track and field programme continues to grow, more and more schools have senior internationals in their history. Hydel High School has World Indoor 4x400 metres gold medallist Roneisha McGregor, the school’s first winner of the Class One 200 metres at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs). According to McGregor, sprinter Brianna Lyston has been doing well in training and is very focused.

McGregor took the 200 metres for Hydel in 2017 and though she is now a relay medal winner at the Olympics and the World Championships, she stays in touch with the school and coach Corey Bennett. Asked what advice she might give to Lyston, she revealed: “I’ve been corresponding with Hydel and the Hydel coach because a few times earlier on in the season, I took time out to go to the training sessions with them, probably two times for the week or so. I’ve been seeing them in training and they’re working pretty good so I’ve been talking to the girls, motivating them and so forth as an Olympian and also a World Championships medallist.”

Relishing in her role as a symbol to the youngsters as to what they might achieve in track and field, the 24-year-old McGregor relayed, “they really look up to me so I have a good rapport with all the girls at Hydel.”

The senior international closed her Champs career in 2017 with an upset win in 23.19 seconds over 100 metres champion Aneka Brissett of St Jago. Ashanti Moore completed Hydel’s first Class One sprint double in 2019.

Lyston clocked a super time of 22.66 seconds in the Carifta Trials Under-20 200 metres final and days later, she scorched the 100 metres in 11.14 seconds in the heats of the Class One 100m at Central Championships. In the 100m, she is just 0.01 of a second away from the Boys and Girls Championships Class One record set by Veronica Campbell in 2001 and in the longer sprint, Lyston is 0.16 away from the national junior record – 22.50 seconds – by 2018 World Under-20 double winner Briana Williams.

Until then, 2021 World Under-20 100m winner Tina Clayton and her twin sister Tia were co-favourites for the Class One 100m. Tia edged Tina at the Trials. A few days later, with Lyston not competing, Tina beat Tia at Central Champs.

The twins have fast 2021 times too, 11.35 for Tia and 11.39 for Tina, who won her world title in 11.09 seconds last year in the sprint friendly high altitude of Nairobi, Kenya.

McGregor is convinced that Lyston will continue Hydel’s emergence as a sprint power.

“I think she’s doing pretty well in training, you know, very focused, and listening, so she can do it,” the World Indoor relay gold medallist surmised.

Hubert Lawrence