DEFENDING champions St Andrew will be seeking to defend their title in the two-day 2017 Jamaica Teacher’s Association (JTA)/Sagicor National Primary/All-Age/Junior High Schools Parish Athletics Championships which begins this morning at the National Stadium, starting at 10:00.

This is the 34th staging of the championships and reigning champions St Andrew will be hunting their 18th hold on the title. Over 1,200 athletes from the parishes across the island will be participating in this annual event.The finals scheduled to be completed today are the girls long jump open, boys high jump open, girls shot put open, cricket ball throw for Under-9 girls, boys shot put open, girls high jump open and boys Under-9 cricket ball throw.Some preliminary round events to be contested today are girls 1500 metres open; boys 1500m open; Under-9 girls and boys 80m; girls and boys Under-11, 13, 15 and 17 100 metres; boys and girls Under-9 150 metres; girls and boys Under-11, 13, 15 and 17 200 metres;girls and boys 800m open; girls and boys medley relays open.Competition in all the disciplines will be contested in the Under-9 boys and girls, Under-11 boys and girls, Under-13 boys and girls, Under-15 boys and girls age categories.Last year, St Andrew won the overall combined championships with 359.50 points, ahead of St Catherine with 255.50 and St Ann third with 230 points.However, St Andrew is expected to be strongly challenged by former champions Portland, St Catherine, St Ann and St Elizabeth. The other participating parishes are Kingston, Westmoreland, Clarendon, St Mary, St James, Trelawny, Hanover and Manchester.