ST Mary High School swept to victory at the Digicel Eastern Athletics Championships yesterday as they surpassed day one leaders Buff Bay to defend their title.

Unlike last year, where the girls won their section but the boys had to play second fiddle to Buff Bay, it was victory on both fronts for the champions as they finished with a combined score of 691.50 points, winning by a city block over Buff Bay, who had 516 points.

The St Mary girls won going away from Buff Bay as they tallied 436 points compared to their nearest rivals who had 291.50. Titchfield High on 177.50 points were third, Morant Bay fourth with 160, and Oberlin rounded out the top five with 134.66 points.

On the boys’ side, St Mary won comfortably with 255.50 ahead to last year’s champions Buff Bay, who tallied 224.50, while St Thomas Technical were third with 275.50. Oberlin High finished fourth with 121 points and Port Antonio High fifth on 120 points.

Titchfield High finished third overall with 275.50, Morant Bay fourth with 257 and Oberlin fifth with 255.66.

On a glorious day for track and field, 11 records were broken, of which St Mary High accounted for seven.

The outstanding Shone Walters, who won the 1,500m on Day One, returned to break the Class Three girls’ 800m record with a time of 2:18.61 minutes. Abigail Schaaffe, who was an individual double winner on the day, broke the 400m hurdles record when she clocked 1:02.24 minutes.

Danielah Gardner broke the record in her pet event, the girls’ Class One long jump, when she soared 5.70m, adding to the gold she won in the high jump on Monday.

St Mary also broke four relay records. They broke both Class One 4x100m records, the girls’ winning in 46.77 seconds; and the boys in 42.36 seconds, as well as both 4x400m records.

Titchfield High broke the first relay record when their Class Four girls’ 4x100m team stopped the clock at 49.65 seconds.

Alexia Austin of Glengoffe High now owns the Class Three girls’ 80m hurdles record of 11.83 seconds, as she glided to gold in the event.

Jahmani Smith of Port Antonio High broke the Class One boys’ 400m hurdles when he clocked 58.51secs to win gold.

The other record went to the Class One Champion Boy Romaine Beckford of Buff Bay, who jumped 2.05 metres to set a new high jump record.

Shone Walters and her teammate Glacian Loutin were declared joint Class Three champion girls after tallying 18 points each.

The boys’ Class Three champion award was also shared by Demario Thorpe of St Thomas Technical and Javour Hall of Titchfield with both athletes gaining 16 points.

Just as it was in Class Three so it was in Class Two, as the champion athletes awards were shared. On the girls’ side, Latasha Hall of St Mary High and Brittany Reid of Buff Bay High both scored 18 points to finish top.

For the boys, teammates Jahmani Howell and Chardick Bacchus of Port Antonio High both scored 18 points to share the trophy.

In Class One, Nicole Campbell of Buff Bay High scored 24 points to be champion, while her teammate Romaine Beckford scored 25 points to be the champion in his first year in Class One.

St Mary High received $250,000 from title sponsors Digicel for winning the championships.