Lacovia High School track star Sabrina Dockery, initially disqualified for a false start in the Girls’ Class Two 100m preliminary round, has been reinstated by the jury on the opening day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
Dockery lodged a protest and subsequently participated in the seventh and final heat, securing a decisive victory with a time of 11.90 seconds, which stood as the quickest qualifying time. Upon the release of the qualifiers list, a false start was attributed to Dockery. Nevertheless, by the conclusion of the opening day’s competition, a revised list was issued, reinstating Dockery among the qualifiers for the semi-finals.
Dockery entered the 100m ranked fifth in her class, having recorded a time of 11.45 seconds.
Edwin Allen High’s first-year Class Two sprinter Thieanna-Lee Terrelonge advanced smoothly to the semi-finals. Terrelonge, expected to easily win the gold medal, won her heat in 12.15 seconds, the fourth quickest time overall. She leads the class with the top two times, including a personal best of 11.25 set at the Carifta Trials on March 1.
Briana Campbell of St Jago High, the fourth-ranked sprinter, secured the second quickest time of 11.94 to join Dockery as the only athletes with sub-12-second times across the heats.
Shemonique Hazle (12.00) of Hydel and Bryana Davidson (12.10) of St Jago High are the third and fourth quickest, respectively. Also advancing is Tiana Marshall of Wolmer’s Girls with a time of 12.25 seconds.
In the Boys’ Class Two 100m, Johan-Ramaldo Smythe of Muschett High emerged as the fastest qualifier across the eight heats with a personal best time of 10.65 seconds, despite being ranked 10th.
Gold medal favourite Nyrone Wade of Kingston College (KC) is safely through after winning heat one in 10.95 seconds, the fourth quickest time. Wade holds the top two times in class with 10.46 and 10.49 seconds. His teammate Kyle Bodden also progressed after winning heat seven in 10.92, the third quickest time over the heats.
Also progressing are Tavaine Stewart of Herbert Morrison High with a time of 10.91 seconds, the second quickest among the heats, Malike Nugent (11.04) of Excelsior High, and Tyreece Foreman (11.06) of St George’s College.
Meanwhile, the top four ranked athletes in the Girls’ Class One 100m have safely progressed out of the preliminary round.
Trezeguet Taylor of Edwin Allen, who is ranked number four with 11.69, is the quickest over the five heats after winning her preliminary race in 11.87 seconds. Her teammate Jounee Armstrong, who won the sprint double at the Central Athletics Championships at GC Foster College in February, is fifth quickest after winning her preliminary race in 11.93 seconds. Armstrong is the leading Class One 100m sprinter, boasting a lifetime best of 11.58 seconds achieved during the Carifta Trials on March 1.
Hydel’s Alliah Baker, who ranks as the second-best Class One 100m sprinter with a time of 11.59 seconds, secured the fourth quickest time across the heats by winning her section in 11.94 seconds. Also advancing is Habiba Harris of St Elizabeth Technical High School with a time of 11.89 seconds, marking the second quickest time.
In the Boys’ Class One 100m, Damor Miller of Excelsior High, ranked 15th in the class, leads all qualifiers with a time of 10.60 seconds. Following closely is Steer Town Academy’s Omarion Barrett, ranked 12th in the class, as the second quickest qualifier with a time of 10.64 seconds. Also advancing are top-ranked Hector Benjamin of JC with a time of 10.81 seconds, second-ranked Deandre Daley of Herbert Morrison Technical High School with 10.75 seconds, Yourie Lawrence-Clarke of KC with 10.74 seconds, and Raheem Pinnock of St Jago High with 10.68 seconds.
In the Girls’ Class Three 100m, Adora Campbell of St Jago High set the pace among qualifiers with a time of 12.02 seconds, while Mario Ross of Wolmer’s leads the boys’ qualifiers with a time of 11.36 seconds.
In the Girls’ Class Four 100m, Teixiera Johnson (12.36) of Hydel High, Tashana Godfrey (12.46) of Edwin Allen, and the big favourite Rihanna Scott (12.52) of Ferncourt High secured the top three qualifying spots.
The semi-finals and finals of the 100m events are scheduled for the second day of competition on Wednesday.
Earlier, Kenyan athletes Elthan Gioko and Brian Kiprop of KC secured their spots in Wednesday’s final of the Boys’ Class One 1500m event.
Kiprop, ranked 17th in the class, led all qualifiers with a time of 4:10.42.
Gioko, holding the top ranking in the class with an impressive time of 4:00.48 achieved at the Corporate Area Development meet, won his heat in 4:11.55, marking the third quickest time across the two heats.
Charehon Connolly of Maggotty High emerged as the second fastest qualifier with a time of 4:10.66.
The other qualifiers are Nellie Ambriton (4:13.56) of JC, Rahiem Walker (4:13.48) of St Jago High, Roquelme Johnson (4:13.70) of Bellefield High, Joseph Parks (4:13.99) of Edwin Allen High, Joel Morgan (4:14.23) of Edwin Allen High, Adriano Brown (4:14.00) of Calabar High, Kemarrio Bygrave (4:14.51) of JC, Waval Davis (4:14.02) of Foga Road, and Barrain Smith (4:14.82) of STETHS.
Cavel Nooks from JC stands as the quickest qualifier heading into the Boys’ Class Three 1500m final with a time of 4:27.20. Nooks has set his sights on the 800m-1500m double, currently holding the top five times in the 800m, with his best time of 1:58.25 achieved at the Carifta Trials on March 1. In the 1500m, Nooks also boasts the top two times of 4:21.21 and 4:24.35, both recorded during the Carifta Trials.
Sekani Brown (4:11.91) of Calabar High and Kenyan athlete Nahashon Ruto (4:16.97) of Kingston College (KC) emerged as the top two qualifiers heading into the Boys’ Class Two 1500m final.
