The Grace/ STETHS Invitational Track and Field Meet is to be held for the first time in three years at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex in Santa Cruz on January 28, organisers announced on Wednesday.

It will be the 38th staging of the one-day meet that was a fixture on the calendar before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Bryan James, the STETHS head coach and meet director, said the return of the event has been met with “a lot of excitement and anticipation”.

On Wednesday James told the Jamaica Observer that organisers are anticipating a large turnout of schools from all over the island, especially from the western region.

“We are hoping to get most, if not all, the schools from the western region to show up and there are a number of schools from outside the region who have always supported the meet,” he said

“Edwin Allen used to come here with a big squad, Calabar High always sent their throwers and the last time we had the meet, Kingston College and Hydel High were here as well.”

The meet, which is a qualifier for the national high school championships, will offer a number of events on the track and in the field as well as three relays — 4x800m, distance medley and 4x400m.

There will also be 400m hurdles for both male and female; 100m, 400m, and 1,500m in all classes; and 200m open on the track. In the field there will be shot put, discus throw, high jump and long jump for all classes as well as the javelin open.

— Paul A Reid