Anchor runner Nyoka Cole of Holmwood cruises to victory in the Class One Girls 4x100m in a record time of 44.57 at the Gibson Relays at the National Stadium yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
HOLMWOOD TECHNICAL stoutly defended their Class One boys and girls sprint relay titles at the 29th Gibson Relays at the National Stadium yesterday.
The girls' quartet of Sonita Sutherland, Rose-Marie White, Aneisha McLaughlin and Nyoka Cole broke their own record of 44.81, set last year with a blistering 44.57 after earlier clocking 45.74, in the preliminary round. St. Jago (45.86) and Wolmer's (47.99) ran on for second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, their males did not get into the record books but they did enough to drive fear into the hearts of challengers ahead of next month's Boys and Girls Championships.
After easing into the finals with a 41.73 clocking, the second time behind Wolmer's, they later turned up to the party and kicked whatever hopes Kingston Technical and Camperdown had on getting their hands on the title. A well-executed race from start to end saw them stop the clock at 40.87, ahead of Camperdown (41.03) and St. Jago (41.20).
SUPER PERFORMANCE ON ANCHOR
However, it was the performance of Holmwood's Schillonie Calvert in the Girls Class Two 4x100 metres that caught the eye of many. Calvert turned in a super performance on anchor to catch and beat St. Jago who had a seven-metre cushion over the field in 46.05. Edwin Allen (46.44) finished well for second forcing St. Jago (46.45) to settle for the bronze.
The University of Technology was also in record breaking form, stopping the clock at 45.43, erasing the old mark of 46.11 set by G.C. Foster in 1992 in the 4x100m women's Institutions event.
Individual performances saw Kadine Geddes of Tacius Golding capturing the women's long jump open with a leap of 6.01 metres. She beat Morant Bay's Kimona Smith (5.85) into second and Wolmer's Renee White (5.81) third.
Jermaine Jackson of Excelsior Community College won the men's high jump Open after he soared 2.05m, beating Kingston College's Alain Bailey (2.05m) and Bridgeport's Jerome Foster (2.00) for the gold medal.
