JULIAN Robinson, coach of Calabar High School’s Kobe Lawrence who achieved the qualifying mark for the men’s shot put event at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in August, says he is not surprised that the 17-year-old started the season on such a high note.

Lawrence, who finished eighth at last year’s World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, won the boys’ Class One event at Saturday’s Jamaica College/PureWater/R Danny Williams Invitational meet at Jamaica College with 18.66m.

The mark was comfortably over the qualifying mark of 18.20m but still below his personal best 19.15m with the 6kg ball set last year, and Robinson said he expects him to improve on that mark if he is to get back into the final at the World Under-20 set for Cali, Colombia, in August.

“Most of his efforts in training are with the senior shot,” Robinson told the Jamaica Observer. “He is throwing over 17m with the senior shot, so 18m mash with the 6kg is reasonable.”

Robinson added: “The focus is really on World Juniors, and our strategy is to throw more heavy balls. We think it will take 19 high or 20m mash with the 6kg ball to make a top eight at the 2022 World Juniors… I am happy for him. He is a hard-working young man and a student of the event.”

Fouling the other four, Lawrence had just two legal throws on Saturday — including his opening effort — before throwing 15.45m in the second round which saw him sixth going into the third round where he got his big throw.

The Edwin Allen pair of Christopher Young (18.16m) and Trevor Gunzell (17.69m) were second and third, respectively.

Jamaica College’s Zachary Campbell won the boys’ Class Two event with 17.95m, well ahead of his teammate Delangel Jackson (15.18m) and Calabar’s Matthew Blake (14.81m).

Young topped the javelin, that was being contested for the first time, with a mark of 59.16m, followed by two Jamaica College throwers — Dorian Charles (58.49m) and Lebron James (54.42m).

Senior athlete Zaavan Richards, who also competed, threw 61.04m.

Uroy Ryan of Jamaica College won the Class One long jump with a mark of 7.23m (1.9m/s) followed by two jumpers from Cornwall College — Lansford Cunningham with 7.01 (0.3m/s) and Jordae Wilson with 6.90m (0.4m/s) — both producing personal bests.

St Jago High School’s Balvin Israel won the Class Two event with 6.88m (-0.2m/s), Calabar’s Shevaughn Pryce was second with 6.40m (0.8m/s), and his teammate Jahrod Laird was third with a wind-aided 6.36m (2.7m/s).

Michael Edwards of St Jago won the Class Three event with 5.58m (1.1m/s), beating Kijaun Williams of Calabar with 5.44m (1.1m/s) and Jamaica College’s Demario Dixon with 5.13m (1.4m/s).

Calabar’s Corey Ottey won the Class One high jump after he cleared 2.00m while St Elizabeth Technical High School’s (STETHS) Dejone Raymond was second with 1.95m, the same height cleared by third-place Uroy Ryan of Jamaica College.

Jamaica College swept all three places in the Class Two high jump — Chavev Penn won with 1.95m, Jaidi James cleared 1.85m, and Euan Young cleared 1.80m.

Calabar High School’s Kijaun Williams took Class Three with 1.65m, St Jago’s Patrick Brown was second with 1.55m, and Jamaica College’s Demario Dixon was third with 1.45m.

Shamer Blake of STETHS won the Class One 400m hurdles with a mark of 53.52 seconds, just shy of the qualifying mark of 53.20 seconds for the World Under-20.

Jaheim Jaddo of Jamaica College was second with 54.70 seconds and his teammate Roburn Walker third in 54.84 seconds.

St Jago’s Bradon Harris ran an impressive 54.12 seconds to win the Class Two event, Calabar High’s Zacre Braham was second with 55,71 seconds, and Princewell Martin of Jamaica College third in 56.74 seconds.

Runners from St Jago High won two of three sprint hurdles events. Jahvel Granville won Class One in 14.07 seconds (0.3m/s), Calabar’s Dishaun Lamb was second with 14.35 seconds (-1.3m/s), and Khailan Vitalis of Kingston College was third in 14.39 seconds (0.3m/s).

Kingston College’s Daniel Clarke won the Class Two 110m hurdles in 14.40 seconds, with his teammate Jadan Campbell taking second place in 14.47 seconds and Calabar’s Zacre Braham taking third in 14.59 seconds.

Michael Dwyer of St Jago won the Class Three 100m hurdles in 14.07 seconds (-1.7m/s), getting to the finish line ahead of Jamaica College’s Javion Pladley in 14.97 seconds, while S Jago High School’s Rashad Buckle was third in 15.77 seconds (-1.1m/s).