SEVERAL non-Jamaican officials did officiating duties at the ISSA Boys & Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium last week, including a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) International Starters Panel.

American Tom McTaggart, who has been chief starter at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia since 2002, told the Sunday Observer he wanted to see where it all began, having seen Jamaican school athletes do so well over the years at the annual relay carnival at Franklin Field in Pennsylvania.

“I couldn’t say no. I always want to expand my horizons,” he said.

United States Track and Field (USATF) vertical jumps umpire Dwight Benning, as well as combined events referee Robert Kern and his wife Beverley, who was officiating the horizontal jumps, came in from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and said they were glad for the opportunity after being invited by Jamaicans Lenford Levy and Ludlow Watts while attending a NACAC conference in Puerto Rico.

“If you love track and field, why wouldn’t you?” Kern asked rhetorically.

Both Kern and Benning were especially impressed with the action they had seen at the local high school championships which has gained worldwide renown.

“It’s not only the quality, but the depth of quality,” Kern said.

“The United states is going to look bad when they meet you,” Benning stated.