Edwin Allen duo confident of title defence at Champs
The Edwin Allen pair of Sanyae Gibson and Jeniel Jones are brimming with confidence and belief that their school will extend their win streak at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships to seven straight even with just about two months to go to the high school extravaganza.
Both athletes participated in the gruelling 2,000m steeplechase at the PUMA/Digicel/GraceKennedy Youngster Goldsmith Classic at National Stadium last Saturday.
Despite contrasting results in the event for the duo, they both agreed that their school would continue to set the standard for girls at Champs.
Gibson had trailed the St Jago High duo of Rushell Johnson and Petasha Ellis for about half of the race before making her move.
Once Gibson made a surge to the front there was no response from the St Jago challengers as she eased to victory in 7:24.54s. Johnson was second in 7:34.71 and Ellis third in 7:38.93.
However, Jones finished down the track after hitting the hurdle in the first lap at the water jump and falling into the water. She failed to recover and trailed her teammate home in a pedestrian 8:23.73.
A beaming Gibson was delighted with her performance as she continues to learn the rudiments of the obstacle race.
“I feel very good about my performance. Training is coming on very well, I just did what my coach told me to do,” she explained.
Gibson is hoping that come the end of March her name will be among those being sung by adoring fans of Edwin Allen High School.
“I feel very good knowing that I have just started doing the event and I am looking to mark my name at Champs,” she said.
Having spent the last three seasons running distances between 800m and 1500m, the 15-year-old says she has a job to do for her school in the pursuit of title number eight.
“My teammates encouraged me to take up the event and I want to bring in the points for my school. It’s my job to get some points in this event for Edwin Allen.
“We are very confident of defending our title, no doubt about that,” said a confident-sounding Gibson.
Jones was left disappointed, but she was in a defiant mood nonetheless.
“I am quite disappointed with my performance, because I fell in the water at the first water jump [as] my leg hit on the hurdle and then I fell.
“This is an event we have never lost at Champs,” she disclosed.
Edwin Allen has won Champs seven times overall.