Get him Tiger: Chad Scott of Jamaica College prepares to challenge a height during the pole vault Open event on day two of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Championship at the National Stadium yesterday. Scott cleared 4.20m for victory. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Propelled by Andrew Riley's victory in the heptathlon, defending champions Calabar High rushed into the lead with 39 points on the second day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Athletics Championship at the National Stadium yesterday.

Meanwhile, Girls champions, Holmwood Technical, also assumed the lead on a day of two records while one was equalled as the champs opened up a 19-point lead over Vere Technical, 48 to 29, with St Hugh's third on 27.

Among the boys, the Michael Clarke-coached school from Red Hills Road brushed off their failure to score on Wednesday to take the lead entering into today's third day.
With 32 finals to go, Jamaica College (JC) are second with 35 points, followed by Kingston College (KC) 34, Wolmer's 30 and Morant Bay 15.

Riley, who scored 4,897 points to win the seven-discipline event last season, produced 5,064 to retain the title yesterday.

The Carifta silver medallist leaped 6.60 metres for fourth in the long jump, threw 38.47 metres for second in the discus and clocked 5:11.70 in the 1500m to add 1,848 to his overnight score of 3,216.

On Wednesday, Riley clocked 14.30secs to win the 110 hurdles; cleared 2.05m to win the high jump; threw 12.06m for third in the shot put and clocked 22.64secs to win 200m.
Kamal Fuller of Wolmer's tallied 4,686 for silver and Dean Swimmer of Morant Bay, 4,302 for the bronze medal.

JC completed the 'quinella' in the pole vault Open, courtesy of Chad Scott, who cleared 4.20m to improve his silver from 2007, and K'Don Samuels, who moved up from fourth to second with 4.10m. Devon Dobson of Calabar cleared 4.00m to regain his bronze medal.

JC were also victorious in the Class One discus, thanks to Shane Dodd, who produced 48.95m to beat KC's Keiton Wilson (47.75m) and Noel Facey (47.25m), second and third, respectively.

Elsewhere in the field, Clive Pullen of KC cleared 1.85m to win the Class Three high jump ahead of Demar Robinson of Calabar, 1.80m, and Jason Lewis of Wolmer's, 1.75m.
Ten finals will be contested today - the Class Two shot put; long jump classes two and three; triple jump Open; 1500m classes two and one; 400m hurdles and 100m classes one, two and three.

Rajae Gayle of Munro College enters the Class Two shot put final with a leading throw of 14.21m. Calabar and KC will each have two entrants in this final.

In the middle distances, Lorenzo Wedderburn of Holmwood is the fastest qualifier heading into today's Class One 1500m final with 4:02.92secs.

Calabar's Rory Rhoden (4:03.26) and favourite, Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield ((4:03.28secs) are the next best qualifiers. Kevin White of Holmwood (4:14.25) leads the qualifiers into the Class Two equivalent.

Like the heats of the Class One 200m on Wednesday, the first round of the 100m was impressive yesterday, setting the stage for some scintillating running in this evening's semi-finals and final.

Running in late afternoon rain, title-holder favourite, Yohan Blake of St Jago (10.6h), Nickel Ashmeade of St Jago (10.5h), Winston Barnes of JC (10.6h), Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison (10.4h) and Oshane Bailey of Calabar (10.7h) all looked easy in winning their respective heats.

In the Class Two equivalent, favourite Earl Lee of Calabar was a cut above the rest in posting 10.77secs in heavy rain.
The Class Three event should be decided between Jazeel Murphy of Bridgeport (11.20secs), Munro's Adam Cummings (11.50secs) and KC's Keneil Grant (11.50secs).

Darrion Bent of Mannings, the winner of the recent Under-20 400m at the carifta Trials, clocked 47.62secs to win heat three and move into today' Class One semis with the best time, ahead of St Jago's Hylton, 48.47secs.

Javere Bell, 49.12secs, and Jevaun Grant, 52.00secs, have the top times in classes two and three, respectively.

Two-time defending champion, Theon O'Connor of Campion, moved in tomorrow's Class One 800m final with an easy 1:52.05.

Javere Bell of Seaforth sounded a warning in the Class Two semi-final with an impressive 1:54.6h in cool conditions ahead of rival, Waquar DaCosta (1:57.8h) of JC. At the recent Carifta Trials Bell clocked 1:53.33 to beat DaCosta in a close finish.

Stephen Rose of St Jago enters the Class Three final with a best time of 2:06.90, followed by JC's Richie Riley (2:07.8) and Romaine Headman (2:07.3).

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