Former Calabar High School star Kimar Farquharson has settled nicely at his new school Barton Community College in Kansas, USA.

Farquharson, who won in 2019, erased the Class One 800m record of 1:48.84 which stood for 31 years and was then the longest-standing Inter-secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ and Girls’ Championships (“Champs”) record set in 1987, and lowered it to a magnificent 1:48.67.

However, Faqurharson did not get a chance to lower it further as the novel coronavirus pandemic ruined that, as Champs 2020 was cancelled in what was his last year in school.

But the rising star of Jamaica’s middle-distance running has since moved on to Barton College where he is adopting well.

“For my first semester here at Barton Community College things are going pretty good. [I] just have to keep my eyes on the prize,” Farquharson told the Jamaica Observer.

A lot is expected of Farquharson, as Jamaica, known for producing world-class sprinters, is touted to make an impact in the middle-distance races.

Farquharson and long-time rival Tyrese Reid — formerly of Spot Valley High — are now teammates at Barton and are pushing each other to the next level.

Reid, who was also tipped to break the 800m record, ended fifth in 1:51.69 in what was arguably the best 800m schoolboy field ever assembled.

That race also included Tyrice Taylor of Enid Bennett High who was second in 1:48.91, while Kingston College’s Tarees Rhoden was third in 1:49.04.

“Well it’s important for me to have two of Jamaica’s best 800m runner working together. We both push each other in training, so it’s an honour for me,” Farquharson pointed out.

“Training is pretty good here; still trying to work on my form and also strength,” he added.

In Jamaica, training is geared mainly towards ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Championship, and to a lesser extent, the regional Carifta Games, and Farquharson had to live with peaking more than once in the season.

“Training here is different from Jamaica, because I have three championship here. So I have to load and unload for every championship, while Jamaica [I] only have Boys’ and Girls’ Championship,” he pointed out.

But just like most Jamaican student athletes attending American schools, Farquharson is doing well.

“I don’t have any problem with the culture here; just that I am not familiar with most of the food. But as time passed everything will be normal for me,” said Farquharson.