KINGSTON College (KC) grabbed the early lead of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships with 21 points ahead of Jamaica College on 17 points after two finals on day two at the National Stadium, yesterday.

Title favourites Calabar made a nervy start after drawing a blank after being tipped to secure 16 at this stage.

 KC drew first blood when Shammawi Wellington soared to 7.16m to easily win the Class Two long jump final.

Lorenzo Cooper of St George’s College was second with 6.84m ahead of Renaldo Richards of JC with 6.83m.

 Calabar were expected to get four points, but that never happened as Alex Robinson failed to make the top eight. Instead, KC picked up a bonus point as Sadiki McFarlene finished eighth.

 In the Class One long jump, Calabar were again tipped to win with Juliane Walker, but he wasn’t selected by his school, and his replacement Jevaughn Fowler, though in the final, finished out of the points.

 His teammate Javari Fairclough didn’t make the final 12. In contrast, KC picked up 11 points courtesy of Gavin Gibson and Sharlanjo Nelson, who finished second and fifth, respectively.

 Edwin Allen’s Michane Ricketts stole the event on his fifth jump, leaping to 7.57m to overhaul early leader Gibson of KC with 7.37m. JC’s O’Brien Waysome, with 7.27m, was third ahead of his teammate Ajani James with 7.21m.

 Nelson was fifth with 7.12. Up to press time, KC were expected to garner more points in the 2,000m steeplechase, having two runners in Romario Foote (6:14.18 minutes), who is expected to be second behind OBrian Frith (6:08.61) of Holmwood Technical. KC’s Dino Rochester (6:20.12) was sixth fastest into the final.

 The JC pair of Kemoy Blake (6:23.77) and Kemar McCallum (6:34.81) were 10th and 13th fastest into the final. Calabar’s Adrain Walker (6:44.96) was not expected to garner any points. Earlier in the day, Calabar High looked extremely good as they had no mishaps in qualifying most of their athletes into the next round.

 But, as the day wore on, things started to change. To add to their misery, Jason Drake was expected to secure five points in the 400m hurdles Open, but he barely made it over the first hurdle, as he appeared to have been nursing an injury.

 His teammate, Zavier Lawrence, made it into the final with the eighth fastest time of 53.21 seconds, as KC’s Chad Miller will be there with 53.10 seconds.

But it was Wolmer’s Jaheel Hyde who threw down the gauntlet to the World Youth champion Marvin Williams and his teammate Okeem Williams.

 Hyde looked impressive, winning his heat in 51.99 seconds with the STETHS pair of Okeen Williams and Marvin Williams easing home in 52.95 and 52.93secs, respectively.

In the 800m, Calabar’s six athletes easily reached the semi-finals. Jorel Bellafonte and Rajay Hamilton won their heats in 1:57.02 and 1:57.85 minutes, respectively.

 However, it was KC’s Robert Thomas, with 1:56.14, who enters the semis with the fastest time. His teammate Lerone Bowden qualified with the 18th quickest time of 1:58.14 and will have to improve significantly to make it into the final. Spalding High’s Chadoye Dawson won heat two in 1:56.38, with Bellefield High’s Shevan Parks third quickest with 1:56.70 minutes.

 In Class Two, Calabar’s Chevanne Hamilton was the only person under two minutes, clocking 1:59.87 minutes, and his teammate Gawayne Porter was sixth fastest with 2:03.11 minutes.

 Race favourites Jauavney James of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Ryan Butler of Holmwood Technical ran 2:01.83 and 2:02.36 minutes, respectively.

 KC’s Kristoff Darby easily won his heat in 2:03.35, and teammate Damoy Boyd, who was third in his heat, qualified as one of the fastest losers in 2:00.97 minutes.

 Devannah Gayle of Spot Valley High was quickest in the Class Three 800m in 2:03.15 minutes ahead of the Calabar pair of Andrew Ashby and Anthony Danvern with 2:05.92 and 2:07.00, respectively.

 KC’s Conroy Ellis and Kenroy Ellis also qualified in 2:09.67 and 2:08. 48 minutes, respectively.

 Calabar’s Basil Bingham made a loud statement in the Class One discus throw with 56.79m, easily topping Flight One and was well ahead of Flight Two winner Alec-Verne Longmore of Jamaica College with 50.35m.

 Munro College’s Kino Dunkley was third overall into the final with 48.82m, ahead of Calabar’s Andre Beckford with 48.53m. KC’s best thrower was Mickel Hudson, who qualified with the 10th best throw of 44.03m.

 Edwin Allen’s Demar Gayle threw 47.85m. Calabar’s Tyreke Wilson cruised to an impressive 22.13 seconds to win heat one of the Class Three 200m, while quartermile record holder and teammate Christopher Taylor captured heat two in 22.54 seconds.

 Both looked safe for the quinella in the final, but Gary Gordon of St Jago with 22.54 could spoil things. Jordon Roberts of JC did 22.84 and was fourth quickest into the semi-finals.

The big guns came out in the Class One 200m setting the stage for two mouthwatering semi-finals later today.

 Calabar’s Michael O’Hara was first up and he cruised to 21.36 seconds before KC’s Zharnel Hughes produced an equally awesome in 21.20. Javon Francis had enough time to look left, then right before easing to 21.57 seconds.

 World Youth 400m champion Martin Manley also shut it down in 21.42 as did his teammate Nathon Allen, who clocked the fastest time of 21.19 seconds. Jevaughn Minzie of Bog Walk High logged 21.51 with Shivnarine Smalling of Newell High stopping the clock at 21.48. In Class Two, the lanky Akeem Bloomfield was in devastating form, cruising home in 21.64 seconds, running into a negative headwind of 3.2 mph.

 It was clearly the fastest ahead of his smooth-looking teammate Jhevauhn Matherson with 21.82 seconds. Raheem Chambers of St Jago, who defeated both Bloomfield and Matherson in the 100m at the Carifta Trials in 10.28, also eased home in 22.24 seconds. Leroy Francis of STETHS stopped the clock at 22.12, while Calabar’s Anthony Carpenter also looked comfortable in 22.39.

 There will be three more finals on today in the boys’ section with the Class One discus slated for 3:15 pm. The Class Two shot put follows at 5:00 pm, then the Class Three high jump.

 However, action starts at 8:15 am with the 110m hurdles decathlon open followed by the boys’ Class Two shot put at 8:40 am.