Defending champions Edwin Allen High girls and St Jago High boys grabbed early leads up to press time on day one of the Digicel Central Athletics Championships at GC Foster College yesterday.

Edwin Allen are out front with 60 points after five finals ahead of Hydel High on 45 and Holmwood Technical with 20.5 points. Vere Technical are fourth on 18 points with St Jago completing the top five on 17 points.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ section, St Jago High hold a commanding 57-point lead after eight finals on 90 points. Edwin Allen are second on 33 points ahead of Clarendon College with 25 points. Old Harbour High and Glenmuir High round out the top five on 14 points each. Defending champions Manchester High are sixth on 10 points.

Manchester High’s Luanna Brown got things rolling when she captured the first final of the day, the girls’ Class Four high jump with a leap of 1.50m ahead of Hydel High’s Bianca Samuels and Edwin Allen’s Criten-ann Cameron both cleared 1.45m.

Hydel grabbed the two spots in the girls’ triple jump open as Britny Kerr won with 12.25m ahead of Samara Spencer with 12.08. Cathilee Mullings of Holmwood High was third with 11.92m.

Bristal O’Connor of Edwin Allen threw 44.57m to win the girls’ Class One discus ahead Devia Brown of Hydel with 43.65m. Rochelle-Ann Bailey of Edwin Allen was third with 39.34m. The promising Britany Anderson of Vere Technical took the Class Three long jump with 5.75m, well clear of the Edwin Allen pair of Lotavia Brown and Denae McFarlane with 5.59m and 5.39m, respectively. Fiona Richards of Edwin Allen won the Class Two shot put with 14.39m with Hydel’s Tyest Bryan second with 13.99m.

Shannon Kalawan took the girls’ 400m hurdles open in a decent and personal best of 57.20 seconds. Last year she was second with 1:02.18 minutes. The outstanding 15-year-old Shanique Walker was second with a personal best of s58.93 seconds.

The boys’ equivalent was won by Timor Barrett of Edwin Allen in 52.26 seconds ahead of his teammate Ryan Holmes with 52.70 seconds.

In the absence of outstanding Lushane Wilson of St Jago, Romario Douglas took the Class One high jump with a decent 2.05m; Ryan Brown of Old Harbour High was second with 1.95m. St Jago were at it again capturing the Class Two high jump courtesy of Damar Marshall with 1.90m.

Tahjay Dalhouse of Bog Walk High won the Class Two shot put with 12.95m ahead of the Clarendon College pair of Chavar Williams and Rouzhae Williams with 12.29m and 11.43m, respectively.

Glenmuir High’s Jermaine Ewers won the Class Three high jump with a leap of 5.76m ahead of Tavel Walters of Old Harbour with 5.50m. The St Jago pair of Kavian Kerr and Brian Smith was third and fourth with 5.49m and 5.35m, respectively, for 11 points.

Derrick Spencer of Hydel threw 45.57m to win the Class One discus ahead of Edwin Allen’s Rajeev Meredith and Everton Finley with 42.82m and 41.04m, respectively.

The championships continue today with the 200m steeplechase and the javelin throw for girls at 9:30 am followed by the boys’ triple jump open.

Action should end at 5:20 pm at which time, Edwin Allen should retain their girls’ title, while the returning St Jago should cop the boys’ section based on the number of quality athletes they have qualified for the finals on day two.