At Champs 2016 Calabar (287.5) and Edwin Allen (329.5) were declared champions

At 3 p.m yesterday, Calabar High were half of a point behind Kingston College in the race for the Mortimer Geddes trophy.

An hour later, the defending champions took over and strangled the life out of their rivals’ challenges in a show of confidence and efficiency, as they powered to their fifth straight and 28th hold on the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships title.

In a 4x400m finale that many had dreamed to witness, Calabar’s Christopher Taylor underlined the title when he anchored his team to the win in 3:09.77 in a blockbuster showdown with KC’s Akeem Bloomfield, who stormed around to the front only to see Taylor outsprint him in the final 100m. KC was timed at 3:10.26 with JC taking third in 3:15.06.

Bloomfield, who had to make up a 30m deficit was unofficially clocked at 44.5 seconds on his leg, with Taylor timed at 45.3 seconds.

Calabar closed their account on 287.5 points to KC’s 250 with JC ending on 227.5. St Jago were fourth on 175 points, ahead of fifth placed St Elizabeth Technical (100 points)

As expected, Edwin Allen formalised their third straight girls’ title, with a comfortable win to continue the Frankfield machine’s growing dynasty with 329.5. Hydel was second on 263; St Jago (241.5); Holmwood (184); Vere (139); Excelsior (80) round out the top spots.

Powered by champion girl Junelle Bromfield, St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) finished with 72 points in seventh.

In the Class 2 boys 400m final, Taylor, having already covered the field with 100m to go, looked left; then right before jogging to the line in 47.76, while waving his arms, encouraging his team-mate Brandon Heath, 48.03, to the finish line as Calabar secured a big 16 points. Munro’s Romel Plummer, 48.43 was third.

The Calabar titan was again at the front of a one-two finish for his school when he returned to win the 200m title in 22.14 ahead of team-mate Dejour Russell, 21.38 and St Jago’s Gary Gordon, 22.09.

In the Class 1 girls 200m final, Holmwood’s Ashley Williams, 24.02 pulled away to win ahead of Green Island’s Kimone Hines, 24.35 and St Jago’s Shanice Reid, 24.42.

KC has a special 400m talent of their own and in one of the most predictable results of the day, Akeem Bloomfield manhandled the Class 1 boys 400m field even if his 46.12 was expectedly not as shiny as last year’s 44.93 bomb. St Kago’s Collin Sewell, 47.51 was next best with Calabar’s Aykeeme Francis, 47.66, third.

Bromfield, the Class 1 1500m champion, was powerful over the last 100m, as her long legs pushed her to a world junior leading 51.74 win in the Class 1 girls 400m with Holmwood’s Ashley Williams, 52.87, who led up to 250m, coming in second ahead of Petersfield’s Segale Brown, 54.19.

She would make it three individual gold medals with an equally impressive win in the 800m, stopping the clock at 2:09.70, with Janiel Moore, 2:15.47 and her Edwin Allen team-mate Asshani Robb, 2:16.73 taking second and third respectively.

KC’s Shanthamoi Brown, 50.07 obliged in the Class 3 boys 400m final with a comfortable win over Munro’s Devante Heywood, 50.92, and Daniel Binns (Herbert Morrison), 51.48.

The afternoon belonged to Calabar and Seanie Selvin, 14.05 and Tyrone Bryan’s, 14.16, quinella in the Class 1 boys 110m hurdles summed up their mood. JC’s Phillip Lemonios, 14.33 was third.

Dejour Russell (Calabar) matched Michael O’Hara’s 13.45 Class 2 boys 110m hurdles record (2013) as he won ahead of Oquendo Bernard (JC), 14.18 and another Calabar man, Orlando Bennett, 14.22.

KC’s Davion Williams, 13.62 win the Class 3 boys 100m hurdles event and took his celebration to the KC supporters in the stands. Calabar’s Schavon Carr, 13.89 was second with Warren Henlon (STETHS), 13.94 next best. 

Janell Fullerton (St Jago) broke the Class 1 girls shot put record (14.27m), dropping a 14.39m mark to win ahead of Tavia Dixon (Excelsior) 13.61m and Sahjay Stevens (STETHS), 13.17m.

St Jago’s Keenan Lawrence, 1:54.84, who broke the 1500m record on Friday also won the Class 2 boys 800m title ahead of Anthony Cox, 1:56.60, also of St Jago and JC’s Dugion Blackman, 1:56.65.

In a big upset, the little fancied Nathan Brown (Excelsior), 1:55.21, outlasted St Jago’s Leon Clarke, 1:55.43 and STETHS’ Jauavney James, 1:55.44 in a close Class 1 boys 800m.

Calabar secured the two top spots in the Class 1 boys shot put with Kyle Mitchell, 19.27m winning ahead of Warren Barrett Jr, 19.08m and Vashon McCarthy (JC), 18.14m.