Wolmer's, KC shine at Forrest Meet

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Sunday, January 17, 2010

WOLMER'S Boys showed their depth and Kingston College their strength at the sixth staging of the Douglas Forrest Invitational at the National Stadium yesterday.

Dwayne Extol of Wolmer's made his mark in the 400m hurdles Open and clocked the fastest timed final in the Class Two 200m, as his teammates Jason Lewis and Christoff Bryan topped the high jump in Class Two and Three, respectively.

KC team captain Jonathan Reid, the defending Class One high jump champion, displayed no signs of a knee surgery as he won with 2.00 metres and made an attempt at 2.07m, which he almost cleared.

Extol ran 52.89 seconds to take the one-lap hurdles, bettering Geoffrey Brady (54.83) and Patrick Bodie (56.91), and posted 21.34 seconds for the fastest in the 200m in just the second week of the season.

Nejmi Burnside of Star Trackers in The Bahamas followed with 21.88 with Travase Morrison of St Thomas Technical third in 21.90.

Reid, who defeated Wolmerian Ramone Bailey, 1.95m, and Buff Bay's Andre Cohoon, 1.80m, noted that he wanted to lead KC to victory at Boys Champs as the school celebrated its 100 years.

KC's Jerome Wilson took the long jump Class One with 7.40 metres, beating Wolmer's Kamel Fuller, 7.13m and Ramone Bailey, 7.11m.

Lewis clinched the Class Two high jump with 1.90m, ahead of teammate Nicolaus Phynn, 1.85m, as Calabar's Jovan Swaby placed third in 1.80m.

Bryan of Wolmer's tied up the Class Three high jump, clearing 1.85m ahead of teammate Abraham Robertson, 1.75m, with St George's Carlington Molton third in 1.70m.

"... Maybe our fitness level is a little higher than some of the other people, but that is no reason for us to remain complacent," said Wolmer's vertical jump coach David Riley about his boys.

Immaculate's Samanta Elliott won the 400m hurdles in 1:04.94, besting St Elizabeth Technical's Tashae Russell, 1:05.51, and Buff Bay's Tara Thomas, 1:08.89.

St Hugh's topped the Class One and Two shot put, with Candacia Bernard throwing 13.86m and teammate Devene Brown taking the Class Two event with 10.87m.

Greater Portmore High's Shaneika Thomas outjumped the field in the Class One girls event in 1.70m, ahead of St Elizabeth Technical's Rochelle Reid, 1.65m, and St Andrew High's Shauna Kay Creary, also 1.65m.

Wolmer's Girl's Israel Ramsay won the Class Two high jump in a height of 1.70m, getting the nod over St Elizabeth Technical's Petergaye Reid, also 1.70m, and Wolmerian Shanice Hall, 1.60m.