Two of Champs biggest favourites – Jhevaughn Matherson and Kevona Davis – didn’t “cross it” on Friday’s penultimate night at Champs 2017.
Both, Kingston College’s (KC) Matherson, favourites for the Class 1 boys’ 100m, and Davis of Edwin Allen, who would be running against the clock in Class 3 girls’ 100m, were knocked out of the finals for false start.
Matherson had earlier held on to his right hamstring after crossing the line in semi-final 1 in 10.72, the fastest time going into the final.
Calabar’s Michael Stephens, who many believed would have beaten Matherson, went on to take the top spot in 10.41secs ahead of his teammate Tyreke Wilson, 10.52.
Sashieka Steele of Holmwood won the Class 3 girls’ 100m final, having very little trouble with Davis absent, to cross the line in record equaling 11.50secs. Holmwood also topped Class 2 with Michae Harriott in 11.63.
Sachin Dennis of STETHS, with still another year in the class, won the Class 2 boys’ final in 10.51 while KC took 1-2 in Class 3 with Terrique Stennett, 10.90 and Adrian Kerr, 11.02.
St. Jago’s Brianna Lyston missed the Class 4 girls’ record, but was a very easy winner in 11.86secs.
In one of Champs’ most anticipated final, the Class 2 boys’ 1500m, KC’s Ugandan Aryamanya Rodgers, seen as the pre race favourite, was put under early pressure from Calabar’s duo Kimar Farquharson and Kevroy Venson – both went out fast and led by about 15 metres on the first lap.
Rodgers closed the gap and even when he took the lead, St. Jago’s Renardo Johnson was sticking to him like glue. On the last lap, Venson, who was within touching distance, went by and kept opening the gap on Rodgers in the homestretch. Venson took it in a new record 3:55.38.
Rodgers, who also went below Keenan Lawrence of St. Jago’s old record of 3:57.28, was timed in 3:57.02.
The Class 1 boys’ final was taken by Ackeen Colley of Rusea’s in 3:53.27, but second placer Javon-taye Williams of Calabar put up a fight to finish in 3:54.21
Monifa Green of Hydel with 4:41.67, Cemore Donald of Edwin Allen, 4:47.96 and Rushana Dwyer, also of Edwin Allen, 4:47.65, were the female winners in classes 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
In the field, St. Jago’s Tissanna Hickling topped the girls’ triple jump open with 13.39m while Shiann Salmon of Hydel cleared 1.73m to take victory in the Class 1 girls’ high jump.
Annishka McDonald of Vere cleared 1.64m to win the girls’ class 4 high jump and Ashanti Wright of Excelsior won the Class 3 girls’ discus with 34.13m.
Nicholloyd Brown, 6.65m and Jordan Turner, 6.60 gave Calabar 1-2 in the Class 3 boys’ long jump final while Dane Smith of JC was the best at pole vault with a clearance of 4.00m.
At the end of day 4, KC held a slight lead 139 points to Calabar’s 132. Jamaica College (JC) 98, St. Jago 69 and STETHS 40 rounded off the top five boys teams.
On the girls’ side, Edwin Allen, 130, lead Holmwood 110, St. Jago 104, Hydel 89 and Excelsior 65.
