Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU
DEFENDING champions Mannings girls and former champions Herbert Morrison boys will go into this morning's County of Cornwall Athletics Association's Western Champs finals at Catherine Hall with contrasting leads.
Mannings, with 136.5 points, hold a healthy 34.5-point lead over St. Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) - 102; while Herbert Morrison lead former winners Munro by a point in the very close boys' race.
Herbert Morrison lead with 117 followed by Munro College on 116 and defending champions Mannings, 106.
POINTS STANDING
The points standing leading into today's finals at Catherine Hall are: Boys:- Mannings - 136.5, STETHS- 102, Mt. Alvernia High - 71.5, Lewisville - 42, Herbert Morrison - 39, Grange Hill - 30, Maldon - 21, William Knibb - 15, Hampton - 14, Rusea's - 11, Anchovy - 10, Balaclava - 9, Green Island - 8, Newell - 5, Godfrey Stewart - 4 and St. James - 0.
Girls:- Herbert Morrison - 117, Munro College - 116 Mannings- 106, Cornwall College - 63, Lewisville - 29, Godfrey Stewart - 22, STETHS - 17, Maldon - 13, Green Island - 8, Anchovy - 7, Grange Hill and Balaclava - 6, Rusea's - 4, William Knibb - 3, Albert Town - 2, St. James High, Maggotty and Muschett - 0.
Mannings' quest to retain the boys' title got a big blow at last Tuesday's eliminations at Cornwall College after national junior representative Favian Blagrove pulled with a hip injury and will miss today's events. He was expected to dominate the Class 1 200m and 400m.
SPRINT HURDLES
Today's proceedings will get under way at 9:30 a.m. with the sprint hurdles in all classes for boys and girls, as well as the finals of the long jump for Classes 1 and 2 boys.
Mannings' Class 3 athlete Darrion Bent, who set two records at last Tuesday's eliminations at Cornwall College, has qualified for three finals the 200m, 400m and 800m and is expected to dominate. Bent ran 'dirt track records' of 52.62 seconds in the 400m and 2:13.50 in the 800m.
In the girls section, the Class 2 sprint events look set to be the most competitive with Milo Western Relays female 100m champion Alicia Cutenar leading the way in the 100m and 200m.
Tashana Johnson of Hampton School and Cutenar's team-mate Latoya Shaw look to be the main contenders in the 100m, while Sherifa Williams of Lewisville, and Johnson and Fiona James of Godfrey Stewart will be formidable opponents in the 200m.
