Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Calabar's Warren Weir (left) gets the better of Kingston College's Keiron Stewart (centre) in the Class Two 110m hurdles final at the National Stadium last year at Champs. In a close finish, Weir clocked 13.92 seconds to beat Stewart, 13.93. These athletes are expected to provide some of the highlights at today's JC/Pepsi meet.

Anthony Foster, Freelance Reporter

Calabar and Holmwood, respec-tive winners of the 2006 Boys' and Girls' Championship titles, will headline today's Pepsi/JC track and field development meet.

The event, set to start at the Old Hope Road school at 8:30 a.m., is the first official meet on the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) 2008 calendar.

Shortened season

Due to the Olympics, the season will be short and the contest among top schools Calabar, Kingston College and JC should be competitive, as well as among St. Jago, St. George's College, Wolmer's and Munro College, who have entered for tomorrow's event.

On the girls' side, high-riding Holmwood Technical with five straight victories, Edwin Allen, who have always proved competitive, Queen's, St. Andrew, Immaculate and Convent of Mercy Academy, Alpha, are the leading challengers.

At last year's Champs, Holmwood won the girls' section with 353.5 points ahead of Vere (232), Manchester (226.5), Edwin Allen (217.5) and St. Jago (168.5), while Calabar (273.5) took the boys' title ahead of KC (200), JC (161), Wolmer's (137.5) and St. Jago (120).

Club and institutions are also expected to participate and G.C. Foster, with a host of stars, should welcome the outing.

Events will be in classes one, two, three, four for high-school boys and girls, while clubs and institutions will participate in open events.

The events to be contested this year are 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m (f) and 5000m (m). There will be 70m, 80m, 100m and 110m hurdles on the track, while long jump, discus, high jump, shot put and pole vault will be the field events.

A maximum of four competitors per class, per team per event will be allowed, while doing so in their regular competition colours.

Prizes, honours

Sponsors, Pepsi, and organisers, JC, will again combine to award 10 individual trophies to the athletes selected by the judges in each class and category. JC will also honour another champion, this year Edward Clarke, whose exploits on the track while representing the school, and his continued tireless, unselfish efforts, have continued to contribute immeasurably to the school's tremendous success in track and field and other sports.