Defending champions Calabar High surged to 25 points after two finals and hold an eight-point advantage over fierce rivals Kingston College (KC) after day two of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships last night.

But Calabar would be left a little peeved after a botched first exchange resulted in their Class Three 4x100m relay team failing to make the final.

KC are second on 17 points ahead of St Jago on nine, with Wolmer’s Boys’ just behind on eight points. Cornwall College complete the top five on six points, and Jamaica College on five points are in sixth spot.

The green and black bearers from Red Hills Road struck first blood grabbing a quinella in the first boys’ final of the championship, the Class Two long jump courtesy of Lamar Reid and Jordan Turner, who both leapt 7.23m for 16 points.

St Jago’s Kavian Kerr was third with 7.18, just ahead of Waukeem Walters of Wolmer’s Boys’ with 7.10m. KC’s Jaheim Cox was fifth with 7:00m.

But in an entertaining Class One long jump final Wayne Pinnock got KC their first victory with a massive leap of 7.77m (0.1 mps), which was just short of Leon Gordon’s 7.87m set 25 years ago.

Calabar’s Alexander Thompson, with a very good 7.56m, was second ahead of Owayne Owens of Cornwall College with 7.24m. JC’s Safin Wills finished fourth with 7.22 ahead of KC’s Shacquille Lowe ended with 7.07m.

Earlier, defending champion Raje Stona of St Jago threw 56.99m to lead the pack into the final of the Class One discus throw where he will receive stiff competition from Kai Chang of Calabar, who threw 56.04m. KC’s Zico Campbell was third best with 55.02m ahead of Excelsior’s Phillip Barnett with 52.21m.

In the 1,500m for classes one and two, while Calabar safely navigated their four athletes into the finals, KC once again fell short, qualifying three athletes, as they only had one runner registered in Class One.

Calabar’s Javon-Taye Williams, who was second last year, was quickest into the final, clocking 4:04.85 minutes in winning heat one, while St Jago’s Keenan Lawrence took heat two in 4:09.90.

The Calabar pair of Rivaldo Marshall (4:13.07) and Kevroy Venson (4:16.32) both won their Class Two heats and eased into the final comfortably. JC’s J’Voughn Blake is into the final also with 4:13.51, while the KC twins Giovouni and Gianni Henry qualified with 4:13.69 and 4:17.03, respectively.

With Christopher Taylor opting out of the 400m, there was less buzz in the stadium as favourites Dashawn Morris (48.83) of KC and Calabar’s Anthony Carpenter (48.17) eased into the semi-finals. But the fastest qualifier was Tevin Evans of St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), who ran hard and clocked 47.36 after pipping a relaxed Shemar Chambers of Calabar, who did 47.36. St Jago’s Anthony Cox did 47.36.

In Class Three, KC’s Tyrese Williams was quickest into the semi-finals with 51.92 from heat five, and his teammate Lenox Barrett clocked 52.46 for second in heat one and booked his spot. Calabar’s two runners Garth Henry (52.39) and Lavoughn Douglas (53.47) along with the JC’s Tariq Dacres (52.20) also advanced.

The impressive-looking Adrian Nethersole of STETHS jogged home in 54.16 with a lot in reserve.

In Class two, World Youth 400m champions Antonio Watson of Petersfield High could not have jogged any slower to the line in capturing heat one in 50.52 seconds. But it was Rusea’s High’s Raheim Scott who was quickest into the semi-final, winning heat four in 48.50. Calabar’s far-striding Evaldo Whitehorne clocked 49.11, while KC’s Shanthamoi Brown won heat seven in a relaxed 50.03.

In the decathlon, after three disciplines — 100m, long jump and shot put — KC’s defending champion Donovan Thames led with 2,279 points ahead of Devar Clayton of Petersfield High on 2,269, with Bull Bay High’s Jahvari Richards third with 2,223 points. JC’s Wikenson Fenelon currently sits in fourth spot with 2,197. Calabar’s Ricardo Smith was in seventh on 1,972 points.