AT every Gibson McCook Relays staging fans usually eagerly anticipate special moment from one or more teams and at this year’s staging it should be no different as Edwin Allen Girl’s 4×100 metres Class 11 relay team and the High School Boy’s Open 4×800 metres should have the fans on the edges of their seats as both events are expected to produce something special.
At last year’s staging, the Michael Dyke coached girls from Frankfield, Clarendon was the toast of the Meet after being the most dominant high school team after winning four events. The wins included record runs in the Girl’s Class 11 and 111 4×100 metre relays. In Class 11, a Kevona Davis led quartet stopped the clock at 44.75 seconds to erase their own record of 45.01 seconds set in 2015 while in Class 111 , led by twin sisters Tia and Tina Clayton they produced an impressive 44.59 seconds to wipe out their one year old record of 44.76 seconds.
Fast forward one year later and fans could witness something even more spectacular as history is in the making in Class 11 as a sub 44 seconds is on the cards. Despite Davis moving up to Class 1 , the Edwin Allen Class 11 team is much stronger than that of a year ago as both Claytons along with Serena Cole who were members of the record breaking Class 111 quartet last year are now in the Class and will join Brandy Hall who helped Davis to produce a record run in Class 11.
All four girls have been in smashing form this season and all have impressive personal best in the 100 metres with Tina leading the way with 11.27 seconds. Tia (11.37), Hall (11.57) and Cole (11.61) should form this special quartet and in reserve there are Selecia Myles who has a best of 11.70 seconds and Shenequa Vassell who has a best of 12.00 seconds. At the Penn Relays last year in Philadelphia an Edwin Allen quartet produced a high school championships of America record of 43.62 seconds, a team which included Tia and Tina along with Cole. Despite Hall not being in the same class of a Davis this is indeed a very special group and definitely a sub 44 seconds is in the making here.
It should be another successful staging for the Edwin Allen team as Davis looks set to pilot her Class 1 team to a win and could easily break the record of 44.48 seconds set by St. Jago in 2014. At the Milo Western Relays they romped to an easy win in 44.60 seconds beating second place Holmwood by over one full second.
In addition to the 4x200m and 4x800m Open relays they won last year they should add the Sprint Medley relay to their haul and end the Meet with five wins. Hydel with the impressive Alana Reid and Kerecia Hill in Class 111 should win easily here while St. Jago should overcome a keen battle in Class 1V where both teams could go under the previous record of 47.23 seconds set by Hydel in 2017. Following their Milo Western Relays success in a fast 3:36.47 minutes it should be another win here for the Christiana based school. Holmwood Technical
BIG CLASH IN BOYS 4x800M
Over the years it has been the 4×800 metres Open which has taken centre stage among high school boys and it should be no different once again as this will be the main attraction among the males as five teams look set to fight it out in what is expected to be very exciting and competitive. Who can forget last year’s contest between, Calabar, Jamaica College and Kingston College where it took something special from Calabar’s Kimar Farqhuarson on
anchor leg to give his team an epic win.
Spectators appetite were whetted at the STETHS Invitational Meet last month as Edwin Allen, Kingston College and the home team St. Elizabeth Technical were in a dog fight in what was the most competitive race of the day in the event before the home team prevailed in the end with a narrow win over Edwin Allen. All three teams will be back and with defending champions, Calabar and Jamaica College to add to the list a mouthwatering contest is
expected. St. Jago High record of 7:32.76 is likely to go here where any of the five teams can win.
After their good showing in the sprint relays at Milo Western Relays , Kingston College will be hoping for a dominance once again here with their biggest challenge expected to come from St. Elizabeth Technical in Class 1 where interestingly the fast starting Wayne Pinnock will lead off for the “purples” while Sachin Dennis who ran for the first time in two years will be the man leading off for the St. Elizabeth Technical team.