Calabar look to juniors to raise flag of Red Hills Road
Projected points: 238
After what was a largely average performance at Champs last year, Calabar’s young lions — now under new Head Coach Corey Bennett — have shown tremendous improvement this season and will be looking to take that into this year’s championships.
At the Corporate Area Championships, Calabar finished 12 points behind champions Kingston College in second place.
Many of their diehard fans are confident that they could surprise the big two — Kingston College and Jamaica College — and come out on top at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, but that kind of performance is definitely beyond the Red Hills Road-based team as they do not possess the depth of their two rivals.
The team is extremely short in Class One and in the Open events and are heavily dependent on their athletes in the lower classes. This is in fact a good sign of things to come for Calabar but their good work will not fully matriculate until at least another two seasons.
In Class Three, Calabar will be led by Bryon Walker in the sprints and Carlos Bryson in the middle-distance events. Walker is ranked in the top three in both the 100 and 200 metres with times of 11.14 seconds and 23.02 seconds and could go all the way in both.
Bryson with the leading time of 4:14.87 looks set to go all the way in the 1,500 metres and could also do so in the 800 metres where his season best of 2:03.38 sees him ranked at number two.
Others in Class Three who are expected to be amongst the points for them are Jawel Watson in the 200 metres and Christopher Ellis in the 400 metres.
A keen battle between them and Kingston College is expected in the 4×100 metres relay.
The outstanding Shaquane Gordon should lead their points tally in Class Two. He is odds on to win the 110m hurdles as his season best of 13.27 seconds is well out of the reach of his rivals.
He is expected to strongly challenge St Elizabeth Technical’s Tremaine Todd in the 100 metres.
Khamani Gordon in the 100 metres, Dontae Mendez in the 200 metres, Donville Jackson in the 400 metres hurdle, Shevaughn Pryce and Kijaun Williams in the triple jump and Khaleel Henry in the shot put should all help to score precious points in the class.
They are also unbeaten so far this season in the 4×100 metres relay and led by the two Gordons they should maintain their unbeaten run here and pick up a valuable 12 points.
