Defending champions Jamaica College (JC) suffered setbacks while rivals Kingston College (KC) had a better start on the first day of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

With no finals on the opening day, KC athletes all qualified for the next round safely and looked strong throughout.

On the flip side, JC’s top Class Two 400m runner Omary Robinson failed to advance, along with their top Class Three 100m sprinter Taesean Lawrence, who struggled before falling to the ground in agony and failing to finish his race.

With the limited entries for the boys’ 200m steeplechase, that event was scheduled to be the opening race and was shifted into a straight final set for Friday.

The first day’s activities got going with the boys’ Class One long jump preliminaries and KC’s Jaydon Hibbert set the tone with one leap of 7.66m (3.3 mps) to lead all qualifiers into the final.

JC’s Uroy Ryan, with 7.41m (2.6 mps), was second best ahead of Royal Walters of Petersfield High and Mickeal Walters of St Mary’s High with 7.15m and 7.07m, respectively.

In the 400m, JC had a major setback as their top quarter-miler in Class Two Omary Robinson failed to make the semis, jogging home in 55.79 seconds and appeared to have been carrying an injury.

His teammate Rayon Sterling advanced, clocking 53.19 after finishing second in heat one to KC’s Tahj-Marques White, who eased to 52.15.

Marcinho Rose of KC was quickest, stopping the clock at 49.97, with Antonio Powell of Edwin Allen High dropping 50.26 in winning heat three.

However, JC looked good in Class Three, courtesy of Samuel Creary, who was fastest into the semis with 52.00. Manchester High’s Troydean Flemmings also looked good advancing with 52.22 while KC’s Taj-Oneil Gordon was fourth fastest with 52.70.

The big boys were up in Class One and St Jago High’s Gregory Prince threw down the gauntlet with an effortless 46.62 clocking and was the fastest into the semis. The other heat winners were all in the 48s with Reuel Campbell of Excelsior stopping the clock at 48.02, the next best.

The JC pair of Deandre Watkins (49.43) and Kemarrio Bygrave (49.12) advanced but while Watkins looked well within himself, Bygrave was flat out and will have to improve significantly to make the semis.

Shemar Uter (48.70) was relaxed in leading his KC teammate Emmanuel Rwotomiya (48.93) into the next round along with Calabar’s Javel Fullerton, who won his heat in 48.94.

The 100m spectacles highlighted the evening session with the KC pair of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie easing to 10.53 (-1.4) and Jeevan Newby 10.55 (-2.1) setting the fastest times into the semis.

In what is shaping up to be a classic, race favourite Deandre Daley of Herbert Morrison laboured to 11.00 (-2.8) and looked uncomfortable, with a heavily wrapped calf, on the way to winning his heat.

The smooth-looking Bryan Levell of Edwin Allen clocked 10.73 (-2.6) and St Catherine High’s Sandrey Davidson looked relaxed in 10.78 (-3.0).

Ricquan Graham of Wolmer’s Boys eased to 10.58 (-0.8) while Javon Blair of Manchester High stopped the clock at 10.63 (-1.6) and pipped JC’s Jaiden Reid who registered the same time. Hector Benjamin of JC also safely navigated the first round winning Heat Seven in 10.75 (-1.2).

In Class Two, favourite Mark Miller of JC eased to 11.53 in a huge negative headwind of -5.8 mps. Romario Hines of Spot Valley and KC’s Aaron Thomas crossed the line together in 10.90 (1.3 mps) in heat six, which was the fastest time heading into the semis.

Omarion Barrett of Steer Town also looked impressive winning Heat Three in 10.93 (-1.3) while Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon won Heat Two in 11.12 (-2.4).

In the Class Three 100m, favourite Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar won in 11.52 (-1.3) while KC’s Nyrone Wade clocked 12.02 in a massive headwind (-4.3). Ajae Brown of Ferncourt cruised to an impressive 11.55 but the fastest time came from Johan-Ramaldo Smythe of Muschett High with 11.47 (0-0 mps).