KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hydel High’s Brianna Lyston lit up the National Stadium on Saturday after she ran a blistering 22.53 seconds into a strong head wind of negative 2.2 metres per seconds to win the Class 1 Girls’ 200m breaking the meet record 22.71 set in 2004 at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships.

The 17-year-old improved her personal best and world Under- 20 leading time from 22.66 seconds that she did at the CARIFTA Trials last month and is just shy of the national junior record of 22.50 seconds set by Briana Williams at the World Under- 20 Championships in 2018.

The meet record was set by former Vere Technical runner Simone Facey.

After her second place finish in the 100m on Wednesday, Lyston was out of the blocks like a shot from a gun and kept running hard for the entire distance, as Vere Technical’s Kaylia Kelly took silver in 23.59 seconds and Shenese Walker of St Jago High was third in 23.89 seconds.

Two girls- Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge in Class 3 and Wolmers Girls Natrece East in Class 4- completed the sprint doubles on Saturday’s fifth and final day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships at the National Stadium.

Terrelonge, who was getting her second in a row after winning both the 100m and 200m in Class 4 last year, added the Class 3 200m on Saturday, running away from the field to win in 23.91 seconds (-2.6m/s), beating the 400m champion Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High (24.30 seconds) and Holmwood Technical’s Abrina Wright in 24.44 seconds.

East clocked 24.62 seconds (-0.4m/s) easily ahead of Excelsior’s Janelia Williams (25.34 seconds) and Hydel’s Sashana Johnson in 25.43 seconds.

Hydel High’s Alana Reid, the silver medallist in the Class 2 100m, took the 200m gold, running 23.59 seconds, ahead of Immaculate Conception’s Mickaila Haisley (23.87 seconds) while Mt Alvernia High’s Carleta Bernard took her second bronze in 24.02 seconds. 

Paul A Reid