Peterfield’s Alexis James targets Champs double
SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Fresh from her record-breaking double at last weekend’s County of Cornwall Athletics Association Western Championships at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex, Petersfield High’s Alexis James is hoping to carry her form into next month’s Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.
James, in her final year of high school track and field competition, retained her Western Championships double by winning the Class 1 100m in 11.24 seconds and the 100m hurdles in 13.51. Both were meet records and would have been World Under-20 leads had there been wind gauges at the event.
She beat Mt Alvernia High’s Carleta Bernard (11.34) in the 100m as both dipped under the previous record, 11.39, set by former Manning’s School runner Michelle Mattis in 2005.
In the sprint hurdles she broke her own 13.59 set last year.
James won three gold medals on Saturday as she was part of the Petersfield High Class 1 4x100m relay team.
“It was a good day. Based on the times I saw today I am feeling pretty good,” she said afterwards.
The Petersfield student, a silver medallist in the 100m hurdles at last year’s World Under-20 Championships, was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team that broke the World Under-20 record.
She expressed uncertainty about where she is in her preparation this season.
“I have to work even harder,” she said. “I can’t say where I am right now as I am still dealing with the injuries, the same as last year. [I have been] taking time off from training to rest, physio, icing and special exercises.”
James will start favourite to win the Class 1 100m hurdles at the ISSA Championships but was hedging her bets in the 100m where she is likely to face a stacked field expected to include World Under-20 silver medallist Serena Cole, the heir apparent to the high school sprint queen throne.
After a 12.87 personal best at the World Under-20 Championships last year James is upbeat about her chances in the 100m hurdles, which she acknowledged is her favourite event.
Meanwhile, she said after this season she is hoping to move to college in the United States.
“I am thinking about going to school — that is what I am thinking right now,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
