Fairy tale fit for a Baron

Edwin Allen High School had several individual winners at the recent ISSA GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), but undoubtedly their biggest winner was heptathlon champion Brittany Baron, who did the impossible by capturing the event.

Baron, in her sixth and final year representing the school, had never competed in an individual event and was preparing for the Class 1 100m hurdles at this year’s Champs.

Two days before entries closed, Baron was approached by head coach Michael Dyke about participating in the heptathlon, after it was discovered that the athlete preparing for the event was ineligible. Despite having just one week of preparation, she obliged – and the rest is history, as she captured the gold medal with 4,345 points.

Baron, who went into the final of the seven events lying in fourth position, moved up to first after winning the 800m in a record 2:22.18 to pick up 794 points. Leader Keianna Walker of St Andrew High School ended up ninth in 2:53.06, collecting only 432 points.

There is a saying that when it rains, it pours, and so it was for the final-year Class One athlete, who was winning her first-ever medal at Champs. In winning the event, she also received a late call on Monday to represent Jamaica in the multi-events at this weekend’s Carifta Games in Grenada.

Baron was understandably pleased with her historic achievement.

“Winning the event was an incredible feeling, and I am thankful for the chance to have competed. When my coach approached me about representing the team, I agreed without hesitation, despite knowing that it is seven events and I had a lot of catching up to do in just one week, as the only event I had any experience in was the 100m hurdles,” she said.

“Being in fourth place going into the final event, I was determined to do my best to score as many points as possible so I could finish higher in the standings, and I went all out. I didn’t know I had broken the record and only learnt of it while cooling down,” she shared.

“Getting the news early Monday that I made the Carifta team brought even more joy, as it is a privilege to represent my country, and I will do so to the best of my ability,” she stated.

Baron became the 10th athlete from the winning Edwin Allen team who will represent the country in Grenada this weekend.