As Kingston College celebrated its centenary in April 2025, the Fortis fraternity reflected on a century shaped by men who embodied the ideals of its founder, Bishop Percival Gibson. Kirkland Douglas (Kirk) and Hugh Manhertz (Jack) were two standout athletes contributing to separate ends of adjoining generations.
Both recently transitioned in 2026, but their passing has left a profound emptiness in the KC community and the wider Jamaican track and field family.
Douglas rose to prominence in the late 1960s, and Manhertz earlier in that decade, but both gentlemen carried the same Fortis spirit and are remembered with fondness. They returned to their alma mater as coaches in different decades: Douglas is remembered particularly for his work in the late ‘70s to the 1980s, and Manhertz for giving of himself in the 1990s. In those years of service, both worked with the legendary weights’ trainer William “Youngster” Goldsmith, whose influence shaped aeons of athletes.
Together, the two towers formed part of a coaching lineage, bridged solidly by the venerable George Thompson (George-T), which strengthened KC’s dominance in the field of sport, while upholding the
values that have defined the school for a century. The merits of the men – discipline, service, and the pursuit of excellence – were intonations common in the dictum of these pillars of unyielding conviction.
Kirk Douglas: The Quiet Storm
Kirk Douglas was a sprinter/hurdler of rare poise and precision. Calm, quiet, and sturdy in demeanour, he let his performances speak for him—and they spoke loudly. His defining moment came at Champs 1968, a year etched in Jamaican track and field history.
Douglas delivered one of the most commanding hurdle performances ever witnessed at the championships. In the 80m hurdles, he shattered the existing record, clocking 10.6 seconds to erase the previous mark of 11.4 set earlier in the decade by Henry also of KC (1965).
He returned in the 100 yards, running a blistering 10.4 seconds, lowering the 10.6 record previously held by Ferguson of Cornwall College (1966). His brilliance stood tall even in an era when several new records were set, including Donald Quarrie’s iconic Class One sprint double of 9.7 seconds (100 yards) and 21.1 seconds (220 yards). Previous marks—9.8 jointly held by Lennox Miller (KC) and Dennis Johnson
(Calabar), and 21.8 by Louis Knight of Wolmer’s— were established in a wave of athletic excellence.
Douglas’s technique was smooth, his temperament unshakeable, and his leadership instinctive. After his KC years, he converted to coaching with quiet fervour, returning to the school in the 1980s before later serving with distinction at Edwin Allen High School. There, he also guided sprint and intermediate hurdlers with the same calm authority that defined his own athletic career.
His athletes remember him as a man who taught not only speed and rhythm, but mastery, with humility and purpose. In this, he walked faithfully in the tradition of Bishop Gibson, a leader who believed that sport was a vehicle for shaping character.
Jack Manhertz: The Confident Flame
Where Douglas was quiet strength, Jack Manhertz was confident fire. Representing KC in the early 1960s, he emerged as one of the most gifted throwers of his generation. Standing tall, his proficiency in the shot put and discus was evident early, and his performances quickly became the stuff of Fortis lore.
So exceptional was Manhertz that, while still a Class Three athlete, he outthrew competitors in Class Two, vindicating his coach’s bold decision to elevate him to compete against an older slate. His dominance was not merely athletic—it was psychological. He spoke with confidence, walked with the gait of self-belief, and carried himself like a champion even before the medals mounted.
In the 1990s, when Manhertz returned to KC as a coach, he brought aspiration and charismatic presence to a new generation of athletes, who hadn’t tasted the sweet success. Staying attuned with the insights of William “Youngster” Goldsmith, he helped refine the strength and conditioning of KC’s throwers, ensuring that the school repositioned its competitiveness across all field
events.
His athletes remember him as a mentor who demanded high standards, inspired belief, and understood the deeper purpose of sport. His life echoed the values Teddy McCook championed throughout his administrative career—commitment, consistency, and the conviction that Jamaican athletics could stand tall on any stage.
An Interwoven Legacy
As Kingston College reflects on its first century through a mirror glazed with athletic achievements, the stories of Douglas and Manhertz affirm that the school’s greatness is built on the shoulders of men who lived its values daily. They were athletes, coaches, mentors, and custodians of a tradition that continues to shape Jamaican sport.
Commiserations to the families, friends, former athletes, and colleagues of Kirk Douglas and Jack Manhertz. We share your grief, but we also share your pride. These men ran their races with honour. They
served with distinction and conviction. They uplifted generations. Their memories are fittingly honoured in this 2026 edition of the Gibson/McCook Relays Magazine, as both are aligned to the enduring legacies of the Honourable Neville “Teddy” McCook and Bishop Percival Gibson, the Lord’s servant.
May their memories continue to inspire all who strive, all who serve, and all who believe in the transformative power of our sport. Their legacy is secure. It lives in the records they set, the athletes they shaped, the programmes they strengthened, and the values they embodied.
Gregory Spalding is a Track & Field Writer, Consultant & Editor – Champs FastTRACK Magazine