Holmwood's Salcia Slack prepares to hurl the discus on the way to winning the Class One event on yesterday's first day of the GraceKennedy/ISSA Girls' Champs at the National Stadium. Slack won with a record 45.13m to erase the old mark of 44.40m. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Holmwood Technical's Salcia Slack highlighted yesterday's first day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls Champs at the National Stadium by setting one record and establishing a new personal best in two events to win two gold medals.

The 18-year-old first-year Class One athlete broke the 10-year-old discus record of 44.40m set by Tanya Thomas of Manchester with 45.13m on her first attempt in the preliminaries.

Earlier, she set a PR, wind-aided 13.23m (3.3m) to win the triple jump after taking second place last year.
Former champions Vere Technical, meanwhile, lead the tables with 25 points - one more than defending champions Holmwood, followed by St Hugh's, St Jago and St Andrew High.

Meanwhile, Kingston College lead the Boys' section with 13 points after one final, followed by Wolmer's (11), Morant Bay (seven), Jamaica College (three) and St Jago (two).

Despite her outstanding effort, Slack was calm after the discus and told the Observer she was expecting the record: "I was planning on it from earlier, but this is the right time and place to just let it all go," she said.

Not satisfied with just two golds, the many-time CARIFTA champion has set her eyes on two more records - the Class One long jump of 6.47m, held by former Dinthill athlete, Elva Goulbourne, and the Heptathlon Open of 5,282 points held by Nadina Marsh, formerly of St Jago.

Slack won the Heptathlon with 5,020 points last year.
Todea-Kay Willis of St Andrew was second in the triple jump with 12.61m, while Immaculate's Jhanelle McLeod was third in 12.10m.

Micara Vassel of St Hugh's took silver in the discus with a throw of 40.18m, while Vere's Kaymarie Jones was third with 39.47m.

Vere got off to fast start, taking 16 points from the first final - the Class 3 discus - before picking up valuable points in the other two events.

Marsielle McBean led a Vere one-two in the Class 3 Girls discus, winning with 32.55m to top teammate Tamika Frater, 31.67m, while St Jago's Kellion Knibb was third with 31.15m, beating teammate Fayon Gonzalez for the bronze.

Four more finals will be decided on today's second day of the four day meet - High jump Class 3, long jump Class 4, shot put Open and long jump Class 2.

STETHS's first-time CARIFTA Games selectee, Peter-Gay Reid, will start favourite in the Class Three high jump after clearing 1.70m three times this season. She could break the record of 1.74m on her birthday.

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