BARCELONA, Spain — Jamaica and former Manchester High athlete Chanice Porter has Georgia on her mind, specifically the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.

Her performance in winning a tough double, the Class One high and long jumps, both in then personal best performances of 1.86m and 6.52m at the ISSA/GraceKennedy National High School Athletics Championships in March was her final appearance at ‘Champs’ as she says it is time to move on and seek tougher challenges.

Yesterday, after an anti-climactic end to what has been an up-and-down season, placing 13th in the women’s high jump finals at the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships here at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain she told the Jamaica Observer she did not feel let down too badly.

After winning the gold medal in the long jump and bronze in the high jump a year earlier at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France, there were high expectations of her here this week.

A recurring thigh injury, however, kept her out of competition until March, but she came back with a bang at ‘Champs’ and set the stage for what was expected to be a good World Juniors.

Despite finally breaking the National Junior Record 6.53m held for 12 years by Nolle Graham when she jumped 6.58m in the long jump final, she was beaten into fourth place by a wind-aided jump by Germany’s Lena Malkus who landed at 6.80m (2.7m/s) on her final attempt.

Yesterday she was philosophic about her performances this past week. “Fourth place is the worst position to finish in a championships, but at least I finally got the National Junior Record,” she said.

A groin injury that was aggravated in the long jump, flared up in the high jump final and that, she said, caused her to perform well below her best, clearing just 1.73m on the second attempt, her worst performance in at least three seasons.

“I am still feeling proud, I did not get a medal but for me it was a great championships overall.”

She said she chose the University of Georgia even without going there to see the facilities for herself, but relied on the recommendation of Ashinia Miller, the National Junior Record holder in the shot put who she described as “like a big brother to me”.

She said Miller’s recommendation is good enough for her, plus discus thrower Traves Smikle and the Bahamas’ 400m runner Shaunae Miller, who is also a good friend, were also heading to Athens, Georgia next September.

While she said she got “a lot of offers” from US colleges, she said the close proximity of family members and the good weather were also considerations.