Champs 100 tour a hit at Herbert Morrison

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

The Gleaner 'Champs 100' crew touched down in the Second City yesterday as Herbert Morrison Technical played host to the nomadic pre-ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championships celebrations yesterday afternoon.

It was the fifth stop on the tour, and with the excitement that had unfolded at previous stops - Calabar, Holmwood Technical, St Jago High and St Elizabeth Technical - students were already buzzing with anticipation long before the activities in Montego Bay started.

They were not disappointed, as dancehall favourites G Whizz and Raine Seville, reggae crooners Duane Stephenson and Ginjah, as well as Digicel Rising Stars alumni Brown Sugar and dancing sensations Shady Squad could do no wrong during their high-energy performances.

MC Roxroy McLean, who also writes for The Gleaner, may be considering a change of profession after yet another flawlessly entertaining display on his part, which of course involved his usual banter with Coppershot selector, Cutty.

Not to be outdone by the impressive line-up of artistes, McLean, against better advice, flowed into a freestyle rap verse (or whatever it was) that somehow managed to evoke a hearty applause from the amused students.

The action had, however, started long before all of this, as tour sponsors GraceKennedy, Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) and LIME ensured the full participation of the appreciative students with box loads of giveaways and surprises.

Hard work and discipline

Past student and former track team standout Keneil Lee (brother of Dexter Lee) was also on-board to encourage his former schoolmates to embrace the opportunities presented to them and to focus their energies towards hard work and discipline.

As has been the case at other stops on the tour, the Grace Foods booth, which offered a mixture of tasty delights for those on hand, was once again a popular feature for the students.

LIME and VMBS also struck a positive chord with the students with their booths, which also commanded long lines of interested youngsters.

The 'Champs 100' tour is being staged in partnership with GraceKennedy, VMBS and LIME in celebration of 100 years of local high-school athletics competition and will move to Kingston next Friday, when Kingston College will play host.