Jamaica’s Fredrick Dacres of the University of the West Indies (UWI) obliterated the Big Shot Invitational discus open record with a throw of 66.30m, and in the process established a world-leading mark at Excelsior High School yesterday.

Dacres easily erased his own record set in 2014 of 64.36m and was well clear of second-placed Basil Bingham of the UWI with 55.35m. Glenford Watson of GC Foster was third with a heave of 52.15m.

Dacres, who has just recovered from a knee surgery, also achieved the qualifying mark for the World Championships slated for Beijing, China, later this year, and he told the Jamaica Observer he is ahead of schedule.

“Well, I am actually shocked because coming off the knee injury wasn’t easy, because I had about eight months off without any throwing,” noted the former Calabar High School standout.

Dacres, 20, who became the first Jamaican thrower to win gold at a global event at the 2011 World Youth Championships, and repeating the feat a year later, said the plan after being out injured for eight months, was to focus on 2016.

“The aim wasn’t really for World Championships this year, but for me to come back for 2016. But I am really far ahead of where I would want to be and I am really happy about that,” said Dacres, who has a personal best of 66.75m done in Texas last year.

His world-leading throw of 66.30m for the second year running at this meet, surpassed the previous best of 62.30m done by Australian Julian Wruck on January 11.

Dacres’s previous best for the season was 61.35m done at the Jamaica College Meet on January 10. Martin Wiergig of Germany has the fourth best throw of 59.06m.

“To get out the qualifier from early is a good thing and (it) eases off the pressure. I am just trying to work hard where I can compete with the big guys,” he said.

“I came out and I felt good because I have been working in the gym for quite a while now. I have got bigger and I was hoping that it would show in the throws and obviously it did,” noted Dacres.

“My bench press has increased. I am not just big now, I am actually stronger and more powerful now. I am getting the distance and I will just continue to work harder,” he added.

Several meet records were established with Orlando Thomas of UTech dismantling the javelin open with a throw of 68.18m, erasing his old mark of 62.81 while representing Kingston College (KC) last year. Second- and third-placed Rajhel Brown of UWI (66.66m) and Orrin Powell (64.85m) of GC Foster, also went above the previous record.

Mario Gregory, who is unattached, set a new mark in the boys’ javelin with 54.31m. He was clear of KC’s Lashano Kettle with 50.29m. Delana Beckford of Happy Grove High was third with 49.97m.

Gabrielle Bailey of St Andrew High won the girls’ javelin open with 34.23m, just ahead of Shanay Brown of Lennon High with 33.96m. Devia Brown of Hydel High was third with 33.79m.

Meanwhile, Genneva Grange of UTech removed the female shot put open mark with 14.88m and was well clear of Tara-Sue Barnett of GC Foster with 13.55m. Shanice Brown, also of GC Foster, was third with 13.31m.

Fiona Richards of Buff Bay High erased the girls’ Class Two shot put record of 14.81m with a heave of 15.41m. Devia Brown of Hydel was second with 13.88m ahead of Gabriel Bailey of St Andrew High with 13.46m.

Edwin Allen’s Rochelle Fraser set a new mark in the girls’ Class One shot put with a throw of 14.07m. Her schoolmate Janell Fullerton was second, some distance back, with 12.79m.

Calabar’s Warren Barrett Jnr, formerly of Cornwall College, continued his good early season, capturing the Class One discus with a throw of 54.86m. It was a quinella for Calabar, as Eric Campbell was second with 52.43m ahead of Demar Gayle of Edwin Allen with 51.65m.

“It was a big surprise. I wasn’t really training for it. Yesterday was the first for the week,” revealed Barrett, the Class Two shot put record holder at Champs.

Donroa Delaney of Munro College won the Class Two shot put with 16.60m ahead of Calabar’s Andre Chin with 15.46. KC’s Dohnarrio Stewart was third with 14.61m.

Devia Brown of Hydel High won the girls’ Class Two discus in 44.77m ahead of Rochelle Bailey with 42.23m. Yanike Henry of St Jago High was third with 40.30m.

Fedrick Dacres of the UWI swivels as he is about to release the disc during the discus open at the Big Shot Invitational Meet at Excelsior High School yesterday. Dacres won the event with a record and world-leading throw of 66.30m. (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)