HYDEL HIGH’S girls continued their impressive form on the penultimate day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships with Taiefa Gowe putting on a show in the girls’ 2000m steeplechase open with a record-breaking run.
Former champions Hydel are making a determined effort to dethrone defending champions Edwin Allen High and after 23 of 46 events they lead the way with 140 points. Edwin Allen are next with 129 while Holmwood Technical are third on 106.
In the boys’ title race Kingston College are comfortably in front with 136.5 points, well clear of Calabar High on 115 after 21 of 42 events. Jamaica College are third on 90.
Like she did last year, Gowe outbattled Edwin Allen High’s Sushana Johnson for the win, clocking a new personal best and championship record 6:52.82. Her winning time erased the 13-year-old mark of 7:01.07, set by former Edwin Allen athlete Desrine Montague in 2012. Johnson also dipped under the previous record, finishing second in 6:55.69, while Holmwood Technical’s Terrice Clarke took third in 7:18.93.
Kingston College’s Brian Kiprop secured his second victory of the meet when he captured the boys’ 2000m steeplechase open. The Class One 1500m champion was a runaway winner, crossing the line in 5:56.72. Evans Tetteh of Jamaica College finished second in 6:03.85, with Omar Campbell of BB Coke High taking third in 6:04.46.
There were impressive performances in the field events as well, led by St Jago High’s Jade-Ann Dawkins, who claimed her third successive title in the girls’ triple jump open.
Dawkins’ winning mark of 13.11m secured gold, while Edwin Allen’s Deijanae Bruce set a personal best of 13.01m for second place. Hydel’s Sabrina Atkinson rounded out the top three with a leap of 12.85m.
In other girls’ field event finals, Hydel’s Brandane Malcolm took gold in the Class Two discus throw, Danielle Noble of Wolmer’s Girls won the Class One high jump, and Tauntyae Sherman of St Elizabeth Technical claimed victory in the Class Three discus.
Malcolm secured first place in the Class Two discus with a throw of 46.54m, ahead of Jada Francis of Immaculate Conception (44.88m) and Jameila Young of Clarendon College (43.81m).
Noble won the Class One high jump with a clearance of 1.80m, finishing ahead of Shanniqua Williams of St Andrew High and Deijanae Bruce of Edwin Allen, who both cleared 1.73m.
Sherman captured the Class Three discus title with a throw of 38.25m, followed by Zoeyann Plummer of Excelsior (37.99m) and Lakeila Lemmings of Vere Technical (35.69m).
