Holmwood's Anastasia Le-Roy - file photos

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

IF YOU think last year's championship was fiery, just wait until you see this year's renewal of Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys and Girls Athletics Championships, sponsored by GraceKennedy, which begins at the National Stadium today. Kingston College (KC) won the boys' section by a mere two points last year and, from all indications, this year's championship may go down to the final event.

Unlike the boys' section, Holmwood are expected to have a clear route to a fifth consecutive girls' title but unless Cawayne Jervis and company are at their best, Ramone McKenzie could lead Calabar into the boys' winner's enclosure for the first time since 1997. Action starts today with the 110 metre hurdles of the heptathlon at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 7:40 with the 4x100m Class One boys' heats. Only two events, the triple jump Open for girls (12:35 p.m.) and discus Class Three girls (1:10 p.m.)will be contested as finals today.

Though the boys' race will be between KC and Calabar, none of their athletes is likely to feature in the top two of the Class One sprint events.

Blake vs Rose

Calabar's Class Two sprint star Romane McKenzie.

St. Jago's Yohan Blake and Camperdown's Remaldo Rose, if fit, should decide the sprint double.

However, in the 400m Class One, KC's Oshane Berham, who won at Carifta Trials in a personal best 47.22, should feature among the big boys such as Clan Carthy's Ansert Whyte, who leads with 47.18 from the G. C. Foster Classic, Ardenne's Kevin Williams and St. Jago's Rikor Hylton, who both ran 47.35 at Carifta Trials. Both schools are weak in the middle and long distances, while they should be evenly match in Classes Two and Three.

Romaine McKenzie will lead Calabar's charge in the Class Two 200m (21.13 season best) and 400m (48.98) events and he should win easily based on his form this season, though KC will be looking to Rolando Berch to spoil the party.

Herbert Morrison, with Dexter Lee, and Mannings High with Darrion Bent, who will both run the 100m, 200m, could shake up things.

KC's Donahue Williams is the favourite for the Class Two 800m and 1500m but Vere's Garnette Gordon, who has the leading 800m time (1:57.92) and third best in the 800m (4:17.12), along with distance king Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield should challenge.

Campbell ran 4:00.44 at Carifta Trials to beat Williams (4:1666) in the 1500m, while the latter was surprisingly beaten in the 800m for Under-17 boys.

In Class Three, again both teams are even, though Travis Drummond (11.46 and 22.73) in the 100m and 200m, could swing things Calabar's way.

In the hurdles, again, both teams are very strong, but KC have the edge with national record holder Kerion Stewart (13.71) in the Class One 110m and Lemmar Wilson (13.51) in the 110m Class Three event while Jerome Myers of Calabar (14.26) leads the field in the 110m Class Two.Calabar seem to hold the advantage in the field, which mean the relays would be the decider.

On the girls' side, Holmwood are power heavy in Class One. Seniors Anastasia Le-Roy, Schillonie Calvert and Bobbie-Gaye Wilkins should dominate the sprints.

Holmwood's big three

As to how coach Maurice Wilson will use his big three, only time will tell.

In Class Two, Vere, Manchester, Edwin Allen should dominate, while St. Jago are set to join the battle in classes Three and Four.

Salcia Slack will lead Holmwood's charge in Class Two, but in the field. Jura Levy of Vere and Edwin Allen's Kaycea Jones, along with Kedesha Simpson of Glenmuir and Gayon Evans of Edwin Allen should decide the Class Two sprints.

Holmwood look set with Keno Haven, who ran 2:06 last year, in the 800m and 1500m while Manchester High's Natoya Goule should have her way in the 800m, 1500 and 3000m.

St. Andrew's Latoya McDermott should get the better of Haven in the 400m.

St. Jago's Samantha Woodburn, Titchfield's Danielle Dowie, Vere's Deandra Whitehorne, Herbert Morrison's Seidatha Palmer and Glengoffe's Natasha Morrison should fight for the top spots in the Class Three sprints.

In the hurdles, St. Jago, with Natasha Ruddock in Class One, should be clear winners while the Class Two title should go to Alpha's Shermaine Williams and Class Three to Lanice Hall of Vere.

Manchester High's Sha-Ann Holness (10.81), Holmwood's Osheen Erskine (10.85) and St. Jago's Chrisdale McCarthy (11.01) will battle it out in Class Four.

Another keen clash will be in the 400m hurdles as Manchester High's Shana-Gaye Tracey, who lost to Holmwood's Andrea Reid at Carifta Trials, will be coming back strong, so too the latter's Manchester's teammate Judith Riley, Edwin Allen's Andrea Sutherland and St. Jago's Shanique Smikle.