ST ANDREW held off a late surge by defending champions St Catherine to capture the 32nd staging of the two-day JTA/Sagicor National Parish Primary, All-Age and Junior High Schools Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday.

The St Andrew team, coached by Merlene Smith, emerged champions with a combined boys’ and girls’ score of 326 points. They were followed by former champions St Catherine with 311, Portland 261, St Elizabeth 191.50, Manchester 174, Kingston 158.50, St Ann 149, Clarendon 127, Westmoreland 118, St Thomas 114, St James 55, St Mary 50, Trelawny 31, and Hanover nine.

Portland, however, captured the girls’ category with 163 points ahead of St Catherine (161), St Andrew (145), and St Elizabeth (101.5).

The boys’ section was won by St Andrew with 181 points ahead of St Catherine (150), Manchester (113), and Portland (98).

It was also the 16th time St Andrew have been triumphant in this championships, with Manchester having seven liens, Portland four, St Catherine two, while St Elizabeth and Kingston have one each.

Two more records were shattered on the final day of competition, with St Catherine accounting for both in the Under-11 boys’ and Under-13 girls’ 4x100m relays, respectively.

The St Catherine boys’ posted a new time of 50.53 seconds, while the girls raced to a new time of 50.61 seconds done in the finals.

Jessica McLean of Manchester was a double gold medallist as she captured both the girls’ 800 metres open and 1500 metres open finals in 2:26.45 and 5:11.27, respectively.

Vanessa Dixon of Portland was also, a double winner, copping the girls Under-17 100 metres and 400m in 13.51 seconds and 1:03.16, respectively.

Brianna Lyston of St Catherine broke the Under-13 girls’ 200m record by posting a new time of 25.58 seconds. She also won the 100m final in 13.28 seconds

Jada Beckford of St Andrew captured the Under-15 girls’ sprint double in 13.52 and 26.27 seconds, respectively, while Yourie Lawrence of St Catherine was the winner of the Under-11 boys’ sprint double in 13.13 and 27.12, respectively.

Another double winner in the sprint was Kerrica Hill of St Andrew, who won the Under-11 girls’ 100m and 200m in 14.31 and 29.25 seconds, respectively, while Nyoka Edwards of Clarendon won the Under-9 girls 80m dash and 150m in 12.19 and 24.25 seconds, respectively.

Daniel McDonald of Portland won the boys’ open 800m in 2:08.86 with Billy Watson of St Andrew winning the 150m open for boys in 4:32.03.

Other 100 metres winners were Davian Holding of St Elizabeth, who won the Under-15 boys’ in 12.68 seconds, Vanessa Dixon of Portland won the girls’ Under-17 in 13.41, while Dishan Lamb of St Catherine won the Under-13 girls’ event in 13.06.