WITH the euphoria of celebrations running through the veins of the athletes and general school population alike, the Green and Black Lions of Calabar delivered last year’s Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships in fine style.

Propelled by their 100th anniversary and triumph in the Television Jamaica’s Schools’ Challenge Quiz a few days before, the boys from Red Hills Road produced an overall team display to amass 287.5 points and upstage perennial rivals Kingston College, who put up 265 points.

With a number of their standout performers returning to the fold this season, the members of Calabar’s Track and Field Team will be hoping to secure a hold on the title for consecutive seasons, a feat which has not been accomplished since they last did it in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Since then all the major contenders for the trophy; Kingston College, Wolmer’s Boys, Jamaica College (in that order), have managed to capture the Mortimer Geddes Trophy.

A key feature of last year’s success was their depth in all the disciplines, and while a few athletes have left the camp, they will not be worried as the athletes that have risen through the ranks will be hoping to pick up where their former teammates left off.

Calabar will definitely be looking towards last year’s Champion Boy Michael O’Hara to deliver similarly dominant performances across all his events.

In his first year in Class Two, he looked fairly comfortable in winning the 110 hurdles and 200 metres and his performances thus far have indicated that he is yet again in ‘tip-top’ shape.

Defending Shot Put and Discus champion Fedrick Dacres is also a member of the group expected to deliver the big points Calabar will need to fend off any attack from their rivals.

With a balanced attack in the field and on the track, it will take a lot of doing to prevent Calabar from clinching this year’s ‘Champs’ crown.