Deodora Griffiths of Lewisville High School and Calabar High’s Kobe Lawrence were the outstanding female and male performers at the JC/Purewater/R Danny Williams Awards Ceremony recently.

The 13-year-old Griffiths looks set to put the St Elizabeth-based Lewisville High School on the athletics map after leaping to 5.43m to erase the Class Four long jump record of 5.37m set in 2019.

Griffiths’ effort was deemed the most outstanding of the meet ahead of Camperdown High’s Victoria Christie who shattered the Class Three shot put record of 11.72m, taking it to 12.31m.

It was a difficult choice by the organisers but to put Griffiths’ performance into perspective, statistician Trevor McCain noted that Jamaica’s first female Olympics top six finisher, Kathleen Russell, registered 5.495m in 1948.

Meanwhile, Calabar High’s powerful Class Two thrower Lawrence was the most outstanding male performer as his 53.59m throw in the discus dismantled the previous record of 49.58m done by Rasheed Downer of Kingston College (KC) in 2015.

KC’s Aron Tanui was the runner-up following his impressive record-breaking run in the Class One 1,500m in 4:01.44 minutes. The previous record was 4:10.0 done by Marlon Jackson of Jamaica College (JC) in 1998.

There were 14 records overall, as Rosalee Cooper of St Jago High ran 13.80 seconds to break the long-standing record of 13.9 seconds jointly held by none other than Andrea Bliss of St Jago in 2000 and Shermain Williams of Convent of Mercy Academy, Alpha, since 2007. Both represented Jamaica.

Edwin Allen’s Kayan Green clocked 4:51.47 minutes and lowered the Class One 1,500m record of 4:53.9. Shaquena Foote of Petersfield High broke the 400m hurdles open record, clocking 1:00.40 minutes.

Kerrika Hill of Hydel High was also in record-breaking form, lowering the Class Three 80m hurdles record of 11.35 to 11.33 seconds, while Rusea’s High won the girls’ 4x400m in a record 4:01.45 minutes.

The records on the boys’ side were just as impressive, with Calabar establishing four of the seven records. Besides Lawrence’s effort in the discus, the green and black standard-bearers from Red Hills Road also won two of the 1,500m events in record fashion. Rojay Thomas did 4:25.49 minutes, well under the previous Class Three record of 4:34.5 minutes set in 1996, and his teammate Chadrick Baccus lowered the Class Two record of 4:19.8 to 4:11.19 minutes.

KC had two records courtesy of Tanui in the Class One 1,500m in 4:01.44 minutes, which would have placed him fifth in last year’s Champs final. KC’s other record-breaker was Taj Marques White in the Class Four 80m hurdles with 11.53 seconds.

Wolmer’s Boys’ broke the 4x400m relay record with 3:19.62 minutes, which was well below the previous record held by JC with 3:25.3 minutes.

The individual class winners were Amoi Kentish of Convent of Mercy Academy, Alpha, who got 12 points in Class Four, finishing third in the 70m hurdles and the 100m. The powerful Victoria Christie of Camperdown High was the Class Three champion with a massive 20 points after winning the shot put and discus throws. St Jago’s Shantae Foreman with 20 points was the Class Two winner with victories in the high and long jumps.

Edwin Allen’s Ackelia Smith with 24 points was the Class One champion after winning the long jump, placing second in the 100m, and third in the high jump.

In the male section, Cornwall College’s Patrick Rosegreen picked up 12 points and was the Class Three winner after finishing second in the long jump and fifth in the high jump.

Kobe Lawrence with 20 points was the Class Two champion with his double success in the shot put and discus, while KC’s Tanui was the Class One champion with 20 points, with wins in the 1,500m and the 5000m Open.

The outstanding coach was Milton Brown, who guides young Deodora Griffiths.