Convent of Mercy being realistic
AFTER a ninth-place finish at the 2010 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, the Convent of Mercy High, more commonly known as Alpha Girls, are content with finishing just inside the top 10.
Head coach, Lorna Vernon admitted that while it is always her intention to better a previous season’s performance she has to be realistic with the team she has and the competition they are up against.
Alpha has also lost a few of their top athletes who scored heavily for the team last year, but Vernon believes that her strong class two girls should compensate for her losses. “We have a very strong class two team, our relay team is also solid and once the team turns up fit on the day we should do well.”
Alpha’s team is bolstered by the likes of hurdler Kimberly Golding in Class One, sprinters Oshin Brooks-Gillings and Sashel Brown carries the mantle for Class Two, while jumper Gabrielle Foster and Zinedine Russell in the sprints should earn the points in the younger classes. While it can be said that the girls from South Camp Road are far from being title contenders collectively, individually they possess the will and fighting spirit to dethrone champions.
Tatiana Wolfe
Age : 16
Class: Two
Events: High jump, long jump and 100m hurdles
Personal best: 1.70m (high jump), 5.60m (long jump), 14.12 (100m hurdles) Role model: Brigette Foster-Hylton A i m : To do my best at Champs Greatest achievement: Winning a bronze medal at the 2009 CARIFTA Games in the 100m hurdles Rivals: Krista-Gay Taylor (teammate), Jenieve Russell (Holmwood) Message to rival: Let the best person win.
Krista-Gay Taylor (To watch)
Age: 15
Class: Two
Events: High jump and long jump
Personal best: 1.70m (high jump), 5.63m (long jump) A i m : To make the CARIFTA and CAC teams. Greatest achievements: Making the CARIFTA Games team and winning a bronze medal at Champs 2010 Role Model: Blanca Vlasic (Croatian), Shermaine Williams Rivals: Chanice Porter (Manchester High), Kimberly Williamson (Edwin Allen) Message to rivals: It is going to be a tough competition.
Oshin Brooks-Gillings
Age: 16
Class: Two
Events: 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay
Personal best: 11.70 (100m), 25.01 (200m) Role Model: Jacqueline Gillings (mother), Usain Bolt A i m : To medal in the sprint double Greatest achievement: Winning a silver medal at the Penn Relays. Rival: Chanice Bonner (The Queen’s School) Message to rival: The race is not for the swift, but for those who can endure it.
Kimberly Golding
Age: 18
Class: One
Events: 100m and 400m hurdles, high jump
Personal best: 14.12 (100m hurdles), 1:06:7 (400m hurdles), 1.55m (high jump) A i m : To win the class one sprint hurdles at Champs. Greatest achievements: Competing at the Penn Relays and winning a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles in class two at Champs Role Model: Shermaine Williams and Melaine Walker Rival: Tonique Sobah (St Jago) Message to rival: Train hard, I am coming.
Sashel Brown
Age : 17
Class: Two
Events: 100m, 200m, 100m hurdles, 4x100m and 4x400m relays
Personal best: 11.90 (100m), 25.80 (200m), 14.12 (100m hurdles) Aim: To get my team in the top 10 of the Girls’ standings. Role Model: Shermaine Williams and Dayron Robles (Cuban) Rivals: Tatiana Wolfe and Jenieve Russell Message to rivals: May the best person win.
— Ian Williams
