Jamaica College (JC) set to sweep Class Three sprints

Interim head coach of Jamaica College, Orville Brown, is expecting the Old Hope Road-based school to sweep the Class Three sprint events at today's 34th running of the Gibson Relays.

Brown, the pole vault coach who was thrust into the limelight earlier this week following the resignation of long-time head coach, Olympian John Mair, said yesterday that preparations for today's meet are going fairly well.

"Considering what has happened this week, we are trying to keep the boys emotionally stable and focused," Brown said.

"We expect to do very well in Class Three," he added, while singling out 13-year-old Edward Clarke Jr, the son of the former JC 400m star who helped the school to several Boys' Championships victories in the 1990s. Edward Clarke Sr's wins during that period included a victory over Olympian Davian Clarke, then competing for Kingston College, in the 1993 Class One 400 metres final.

In Class Two, JC were looking to perform well but their top sprinter, Deshawn Jackson, is out. Jackson, Brown said, was injured in a hold-up close to the National Stadium following the UWI Classic last Saturday. Jackson was second in the 100m and third in 200 metres at last year's Boys and Girls' Championships.

Last year's Class Two 800 metres stars, Waqar DaCosta and Earl Grant, are expected to be the top two in the 4x800 metres, where JC are the defending champions.

"We have lost two members of that winning quartet but we have two fairly competent Class Two boys and the team will be competitive," Brown concluded.

- Elton Tucker