Kingston College’s (KC) Bouwahjgie Nkrumie and Edwin Allen High’s Serena Cole got their 2023 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships campaigns off to superb starts on day one of the five-day track and field spectacle at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
Nkrumie, the 2022 World Under-20 silver medallist, recovered from a bad start in heat one of the preliminary round of the Boys’ Class One 100m to complete the first phase of his campaign for the gold medal.
Despite the sloppy start, the 19-year-old made it look easy as he hit top speed and surged away from his rivals to win in 10.51 seconds, the quickest time heading into the semi-finals on Wednesday’s second day.
Tajai Duffus of St Jago High finished second in 10.87 to secure the other automatic qualifying spot from the heat.
Nkrumie has a personal best of 10.02 seconds which is the national junior record. He achieved the national junior record on August 2, 2022, at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
The 10.02 seconds in Cali handed Nkrumie the silver medal and came two hours after he clocked 10.11 in the semifinals to equal the record held jointly by Yohan Blake (2007) and Christopher Taylor (2018).
Jamaica College’s Jaiden Reid is the second quickest over the heats with 10.52 seconds.
Also through to the semi-finals are Camperdown High’s Junior Harris (10.56), St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Javorne Dunkley (10.59), Steer Town Academy’s Tay-Shawn Barnes (10.60), Herbert Morrison Technical’s Deandre Daley (10.65), the Carifta Games champions, Wolmer’s Jordan Tomlinson (10.65), St Jago High’s Raheem Pinnock (10.68), JC’s Hector Benjamin (10.67) and KC’s Yourie Lawrence Clarke (10.70).
Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole wins her preliminary round heat of the Girls’ Class One 100m.
In the preliminary round of the Girls’ Class One 100m, Cole – the 2022 World Under-20 silver medallist – blasted out of the blocks in heat one and was well clear by halfway before coming home in 11.57, easily the quickest over the heats.
Glacian Loutin of St Mary High finished second in 12.08 to secure the other automatic qualifying spot from the heat.
Cole’s biggest rivals Hydel High’s Alana Reid, the 2022 World Under-20 bronze medallist, and Petersfield High’s Alexis James, the 2022 World Under-20 100m hurdles runner-up, are also safely through.
James won heat two in 11.74, the second quickest over the heats while Reid took heat three in 11.81, the fourth quickest.
Hydel’s Alana Reid wins her preliminary round heat of the Girls’ Class One 100m.
Also safely through to the semifinals are Edwin Allen High’s Tonie-Ann Forbes with 11.80 seconds, the third quickest over the year, Wolmer’s Mickayla Gardener (11.84), St Catherine High’s Kamaria Knight (11.89), St Mary High’s Shantae Pryce (11.94), Glacia Loutin (12.08), Immaculate’s Essence Burbridge (12.25) and Mount Alvernia High’s Carleta Bernard (12.33).
