CATHERINE HALL, St James — The stage has been set for an exciting climax to the County of Cornwall Athletics Association’s (COCAA)/Gatorade/Hanover Co-op Credit Union’s Western championships at the Montego Bay Sports Complex today, starting at 12:00 noon.

The start was pushed back by two hours, COCAA president Stephen Smith told the Jamaica Observer, to allow the athletes to avoid the blazing morning sunshine.

Defending champions Munro College boys and St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) girls will take leads into the final day. While Munro College have a 36-poin lead over second-placed Petersfield High, STETHS’ lead over Rusea’s High is only 21 points.

Last year STETHS girls scored over 400 points, twice the total of second-placed Mannings School, but are not expected to run away with the title this year.

After 16 finals completed on Thursday, STETHS lead the girls’ race with 111.5 points with Rusea’s right behind them on 90.5, Herbert Morrison on 72 with Grange Hill 47, Hampton 32 and Petersfield 29.

Munro College used the home field advantage to lead the boys’ section with 135 points; leading Petersfield High (99), STETHS (68), Herbert Morrison (51) and Cornwall College (45).

After the qualification rounds of both days, Petersfield High, Rusea’s High, Green Island High and Herbert Morrison Technical are expected to push STETHS all the way to the line. Munro College, on the other hand, should retain their title but not before a challenge from STETHS and Petersfield High.

Today’s final segment will start with the finals in all hurdles events, sprints and intermediate with the 100m finals set to start at 2:00 pm when the fireworks are expected to really start.

Additionally, the boys’ Class One and Two triple jump and girls’ open triple jump, as well as all four boys’ long jump finals, will also be contested.

Eleven records were set between both elimination days — six for the boys at Munro College on Tuesday and five Thursday for the girls at Rusea’s.

All three boys 1,500m records were broken at Munro with siblings Tariq and Rushane Fullerton accounting for the Class One and Class Three records, respectively, for Munro. Meanwhile, STETHS CARIFTA Games double gold medallist Jauvaney James shattered the Class Two record.Tariq ran 4:05.31 to win Class One, breaking the 4:11.22 run by his teammate Herbert Thomas last year.

James clocked 4:14.90 to erase the 4:17.21 set by Errol Davis of Munro in 2008, while Rushane Fullerton ran 4:37.90 to erase the 4:42.5 set by Levar Dunchey in 2009.

The girls’ records set on Thursday came in the Class One discus and high jump, the Class Three high jump and Class Two 100m.

In the Class One high jump, Herbert Morrison’s Sashane Hanson cleared 1.70m, shattering the previous mark of 1.65m that was jointly held by STETHS’ Rochelle Reid and last year’s winner Shanice Cannigan of Rusea’s.