After yet another comfortable win at Central Champs, the championship from which the winner of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Girls’ Championships usually comes, Edwin Allen have set themselves up as heavy favourites to defend their title once more at the high school track and field extravaganza next month.

After a close and engaging contest involving Edwin Allen, Hydel High and St Jago High for a day and a half of the two-day championships, the defending champions surged away from the challengers after the running of the 200m finals and continued to open up the gap during the relays to come away winners by 39 points.

While Hydel show strength in the lower classes, Edwin Allen rule at the top two classes and have sprinters who are simply out of this world. In Kevona Davis, the Clayton twins (Tia and Tina) and the up-and-coming Brandy Hall, they have sprinters who can compete against the best in the world at their age group.

Speaking after yet another successful Central Champs campaign, Edwin Allen Head Coach Michael Dyke said he was satisfied with the performance of his girls based on the tasks he had given them.

“Central Champs is always the meet that we use to assess our team going into the national girl’s championship,” he said.

“We would have spread evenly enough to win the Central Champs but not the sort of depth that we would have going into Girls’ Champs, so I am pretty satisfied based on what they did, based on where I had placed persons per event.”

The sensational 15-year-old Tia Clayton continues to grab headlines as she lowered her personal best in the 100m to a stunning 10.28s in the Class Two girls’ 100m final. Her teammate Brandy Hall was not too far behind with 11.38s for second place as they relegated last year’s winner, Sasheika Steele (11.50) to third place.

Dyke himself seemed stunned by the performance of his Class Two charges in the flat events and the relays.

“The 100m with Tia Clayton and Brandy Hall, they did extremely well, that was a really outstanding performance. Running 11.28 is unbelievable and they are first-year Class 2 girls. The 4×1, 43.80 , excellent, that’s a time probably would be unbeaten anywhere in the world, based on their age group, so I think it was very outstanding based on what they did,” he noted.

He sees the girls achieving great things once they remain fit.

“We are very strong in Class 2 and it is widely known and once they remain healthy the sky is the limit for them,” said Dyke.

But his standout athlete Davis has been wrapped in cotton wool this year as she is being primed to explode at Champs.

“Kevona is getting into her final preparation to lead her up to the Girls’ Championship and so far I am very comfortable based on where she’s at. She is in pretty good shape but not where she wants to be yet as it relates to girls championship, but there is a lot more to come as we get closer,” he warned.

The Gibson McCook Relays represents the next opportunity for fans to see the team from and Dyke hinted at a treat for the fans who will turn out for the relay carnival next weekend.

“I am expecting them to do well but it is left to be seen by the spectators and other competitors,” he suggested.

But while Dyke may have been coy in his response about the Gibson-McCook Relays, Dyke was definite in his response to the ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Championship title defence.

“Champs will be a different kettle of fish. I know it will be very challenging, not as easy as probably a Central Champs, but we have done it in the past, over and over. I think we have the formula to win the championship and we will do just that one more time to defend our title,” he ended.