Asafa leads MVP team at Milo Western Relays

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Saturday, February 11, 2012

CATHERINE HALL, St James — A powerful MVP squad and some of the top high school teams in the island are expected to be among a record number of entries that will take part in the 34th staging of the Milo Western Relays at the Montego Bay Sports Complex today starting at 1:00 pm.

Over 90 teams and nearly 1,500 athletes are down to take part in the event that Ray Harvey, chairman of the organising committee, has described as "the biggest and best relay carnival based on the number of entries, athletes, the level of preparation and the feedback from the public so far".

National high school girls champions Holmwood Technical, Vere Technical, Edwin Allen High, Manchester High and St Elizabeth Technical will lead the girls section, while Kingston College, Munro College, Wolmer's Boys, Holmwood and Herbert Morrison Technical are among the boys standouts.

Harvey told the Observer yesterday that the decision to move the starting time from the usual 10:00 am appeared to have been a positive one. "The response to the new starting time has been phenomenal... track fans can go about their usual Saturday business and still be able to join us and still see a large portion of the meet, and more importantly, the top athletes," he said.

The meet will offer prize monies to the top high school relay teams in the amounts of $30,000; $15,000; $10,000 and $5,000 respectively for the top four in the Class One 4x100m for boys and girls, the 4x400m and 4x800.

With former World Record holder Asafa Powell and MVP club mate Nesta Carter preparing for the IAAF World Indoors next month, fans could be in for a treat as they will be joined by Michael Frater, three quarters of the Jamaica team that had set the then World Record of 37.10 seconds in the 4x100m at the Olympic Games in China in 2008.

They will have their eyes on the 38.56 seconds that was set by MVP last year, but is expected to get tough competition from a SWEPT team that will include World Championships relay gold medallist Dexter Lee and former MVP runner Ainsley Waugh.

In the high schools, the Class One 4x100m could be one of the highlights of the meet with STETHS, who won last year, going up against rivals Munro College, Wolmer's Boys as well as dark horses Green Island High, who should be anchored by World Youth Championships 100m gold medallist Odail Todd.

Vere Technical girls will return after a short absence and the 4x400m team that will include IAAF World Youth Championships medallists Shericka Jackson and Olivia James could be eyeing a sub three-minute 40-second time.

In the individual events, Commonwealth Games medallist Lansford Spence of Sprint Tech is down to defend the 100m title he won last year, while Anastacia Leroy will start favourite to win the women's 400m Open.

Twenty-two men, the biggest field ever at the event, will take part in the long jump, while St Elizabeth Technical's Peta Gay Reid and Manchester high's Chanice Porter will clash over the female high jump.

Porter, the World Youth Championships gold medal winner in the long jump, will be opening her season and will be honoured as the outstanding female junior athlete from last season, while Todd will get the male equivalent.

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Asafa leads MVP team at Milo Western Relays