CLASSES were suspended for an hour and a half yesterday morning as the Wolmer’s Boys’ and Girls’ Schools population came out to celebrate the boys team’s victory at ‘Champs 100’ at the National Stadium on Saturday.

A throng of students — past and present — athletes, teachers, former principal Dave Myrie, current headmaster Dr Walton Small, and parents gathered at the school’s Heroes Circle base to celebrate the historic win, their first in 54 years and 100 years after the school claimed the first Boys’ Championship title.

Dr Small, who is also president of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), noted that even students from the adjoining Wolmer’s Girls’ School came over to be a part of the celebration which he said “doesn’t usually happen”.

“Over 50 years, generations have passed through this school and have never tasted victory. It is sweet,” Dr Small stated.

“We gave them time to just scream and talk about it so we can go back to business after.”

The assembly area was a sea of maroon and gold — the school colours — as banners, flags, school ties, epaulettes, and even a maroon and gold umbrella were hoisted in triumph.

The track team and members of the school body did several victory laps around the field chanting, singing, and beating drums to mark the occasion.

In the excitement, the wooden podium on which the track team was standing where they had only moments before symbolically handed the Mortimer Geddes Trophy over to Dr Small, collapsed under their weight.

‘Champs’ 100: A History of Jamaican High School Athletics commemorative book shows that the last time Wolmer’s Boys’ won the Championships in 1956, the top three order was the same with Wolmer’s earning 44 points ahead of Calabar 39 and Kingston College 35, which was cause for even more jubilation.

Sixth former Justin Anderson was thrilled with the achievement.

“I’ve been here since first form and every year it seems we keep getting a place better so I figured that before I leave it’s about time we win,” he told the Observer.

Another student, Ackeime Campbell, was also amazed by the history: “It’s like God just wanted us to win this time,” he said. “The track team really put out an effort and I really believe we deserved to win.”

Meanwhile, Dr Small said the school would be using this weekend’s victory as a springboard to do even better.

“We are not satisfied with excellence. We want to go beyond that,” he said.