Melton Williams, Staff ReporterSPANISH TOWN-based St. Jago High are well-placed to dethrone defending girls champions Vere Technical going into today's final day of the 2002 VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at G.C. Foster College.
St. Jago surged ahead for the first time after yesterday's 15 finals and are on 135.43 points with 21 finals completed.
Vere Technical, who led for the first three days, are in second place on 110.93 points while Holmwood Technical dropped to third with a tally of 106.43.
However, with a further 22 finals remaining a tight battle looms between the top three schools.
The top 10 is completed by St. Andrew High (69), Edwin Allen (68), Wolmer's (38.3), Manchester High (31), Immaculate (23.43), Alpha and Queens High (22 1/2).
With St. Jago entering the final day with a good lead, coach Raymond 'KC' Graham believes Vere Technical will be dethroned.
"I think we can maintain this lead," said a confident Graham.
"Except for the Class Two 200m, we are in most of the finals. In the hurdles we are very strong and we are hoping to score as many points as possible. Although Holmwood are strong in the 400m, I have enough points to cushion that lead so that when it comes to the hurdles we will stretch the lead," he said.
"We will not go down without a fight," warned Vere Technical's coach Patrick Johnson.
Johnson said his team gave up the lead because a large percentage of his athletes failed to deliver.
"We had a very bad day. We have given up a lot of easy points to St. Jago but come tomorrow we are coming to defend our title," Johnson said.
"People under-performed and we are hoping that the same does not happen today. Thursday was St. Jago's bad day and today (yesterday) was Vere's bad day. It's going to be a close championship because we have qualifiers in every event," he said.
On the track yesterday Edwin Allen Comprehensive, St. Jago and Vere Technical underlined their top billing status with good wins.
Edwin Allen swept the 1500m races on their way to three gold medals.
As expected, Nicola Maye defended her Class One title winning in 4:45.44 over St. Jago's Althea Chambers (4:47.13) and Holmwood Technical's Jody Johnson (4:48.67).
Kayann Thompson proved a cut above her rivals in taking the Class 2 1500m in 4:41.68 ahead of teammate Lorain McKenzie who clocked 4:45.63. Jodian Richards took Class 3 in 4:45.34 over Vere Technical's Cassandra Powell (4:50.24) and Samantha Gallimore of Claude McKay Comprehensive (4:50.41).
St. Jago and Vere Technical shared the sprint honours with two gold medals each.
Kerron Stewart (11.95) and Natasha Ruddock (12.75) handed St. Jago gold medals in Class One and Class Four 100m respectively.
Vere Technical's Simone Facey underlined her status as the best schoolgirl sprinter with a smooth victory in Class Two 100m in 11.73 and her teammate Shana Kaye Wright (12.40) took the Class Three gold.
