Douglas dips below 11 seconds, Itubo smashes own Champs record

Favourites Shanoya Douglas of Holland High School and Riquelme Reid of Excelsior High School stole the spotlight in the 100 metres, winning the blue-riband Class One events at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships in fine style.

Douglas registered her first sub-11-second performance, clocking a personal best 10.98 to win the Girls’ Class 1 event, ahead of the Edwin Allen duo of Alexxe Henry (11.21) and Reneica Edwards (11.45).

Reid showed his class in the Boys’ Class 1 final, winning in 10.12 ahead of St George’s College’s Tyrice Foreman (10.21) and Omar Finnegan of Edwin Allen (10.22).

Kai Kelly of Jamaica College won the Class 2 title in 10.28, while Wolmer’s Boys’ Ajani Lindley captured the Class 3 event in 10.72.

Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls’ Natrece East won the Girls’ Class 2 event in 11.21, Daniela Clarke of Edwin Allen won Class 3 in 11.66, and Briana Gray of Excelsior took the Class 4 title in 12.01.

Edwin Allen and Jamaica College are the early leaders. In the girls’ section, after eight events. Edwin Allen leads with 61 points, followed by Holmwood Technical on 29 and Clarendon College on 21 to close out the top three. Defending champions Hydel sit eighth with 15 points.

Jamaica College leads with 54 points, followed by St Jago on 38 and Calabar in third on 36. Defending champions Kingston College are fourth with 31 points.

Earlier KC’s Julius Itubo stole the spotlight on yesterday’s second day of competition at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) with a record-breaking performance in the Boys’ Class 2 1500 metres.

Itubo, the defending champion, shattered his own record of 4:05.25 set last year, leading from start to finish to clock a superb 4:00.76. Jamaica College secured the other podium spots with Ricardo Lee finishing second in 4:18.42 and Ajovi Williams third in 4:25.11.

St Jago dominated the other boys’ 1500m finals. Phillip Palmer captured the Class 2 title in 4:09.91 ahead of Bellefield’s Jevaughn Tomin (4:10.95) and St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Dejaun Grey (4:11.04). In Class 1, St Jago’s Ryan Achua successfully defended his title with a runaway victory in 3:50.71. KC’s Nahashon Ruto was second in 3:55.91, while Edwin Allen’s Joel Morgan finished third in 3:58.30.

Clarendon College’s Alex Jordan Hall produced a major upset to capture the Girls’ Class 3 1500 metres, leading from start to finish to win in 4:47.33. Alpha Academy’s Danoya Scott took second in 4:48.54, while pre-race favourite Romean Gray of Edwin Allen finished third in 4:48.72.

Edwin Allen’s Kevongaye Fowler stepped up from her fourth-place finish last year to win the Girls’ Class 2 1500 metres in 4:41.37. Defending champion Alikay Reynolds of Alphansus Davis was second in 4:44.39, with Alexia Palmer of Sydney Pagon third in 4:45.97.

Holmwood Technical’s Jovi Rose won the Girls’ Class 1 1500 metres in 4:45.15, edging Annataseca Blackwood of Sydney Pagon (4:45.43), while Hydel’s Rhianna Morgan took third in 4:47.55.

In the field, Kingston College’s Odaine Noble became the first gold medallist at Champs, winning the Boys’ Class 2 Long Jump with 7.18 metres. Calabar’s Talshawn Edwards, the favourite, took silver with 7.02m, while St Jago’s Winaldo Faulknor claimed bronze with 6.79m.

Clarendon College’s Jameila Young was the first female gold medallist of the meet, winning the Girls’ Class 2 shot put with a throw of 14.71 metres. Holmwood’s Shamanda Wilmot was second with 14.39m, while Alyssa Forrester of Excelsior finished third with 14.22m.

Competition continues today with 12 finals scheduled – six in the field and six on the track.

The first field final will be the Girls’ Class 3 high jump at 12:02 p.m. Other field finals include the Girls’ Class 2 high jump, Girls’ Class 4 long jump, Girls’ Class 2 long jump, Boys’ Class 1 discus, and Boys’ Class 2 shot put.

On the track, the six 400-metre finals will highlight the evening session, beginning with the Girls’ Class 3 race at 8:25 p.m. Preliminary action will also take place in the 4x100m relays, along with the Open Boys’ 5000 metres.