“Soaring upwards on the wings of excellence,” that’s how it was done in true Hydel High spirit.

They have been consistently knocking at the door over the years, and finally the Ferry-located team secured their first hold on the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships title.

The Corey Bennett-coached team was always expected to be in a nail-biting battle with rivals Edwin Allen and they certainly didn’t leave fans disappointed.

Only seven and a half points separated the two entering Saturday’s final day at the National Stadium and, much like the motto of boys’ champions Kingston College depicts, fortune certainly favoured the brave Hydel girls, who fought gallantly to win the five-day spectacle by two points.

Hydel tallied 279 points to Edwin Allen’s 277, with Holmwood Technical (202), St Jago (178), and St Catherine High (116), completing the top five.

Hydel kept things interesting throughout by sweeping two — classes one, two — of the Girls’ 4x100m relays.

The Class One team, anchored by the ever-composed Alliah Baker, clocked 44.33s ahead of Edwin Allen (44.77s) and Holmwood Technical (45.71s), while the Ferry team’s Class Two quartet (45.01) finished ahead of St Jago (45.95s) and Holmwood Technical (46.43s).

With no Hydel in the Girls’ Class Three 4x100m relays, Wolmer’s Girls (45.81s) and Excelsior (46.41s) denied Edwin Allen (46.72s) maximum points.

And, after Mount Alvernia (48.54s), Holmwood Technical (48.59s) and St Jago (48.83s) took the medal spots in the Class Four event, Hydel High were just a mere four points ahead at that point.

Things became even more interesting when Edwin Allen topped the 1,600m Sprint Medley Relay, which would have swung the table back in their favour. However, they were later disqualified as the lead-off runner on the 400m leg was flagged for a lane violation.

Holmwood (4:01.46) was awarded the win with St Jago (4:03.06) and William Knibb (4:07.68) getting silver and bronze, respectively.

And, as if things couldn’t get any better for Hydel, Kaydeen Johnson added the 3,000m honours to her 2,000m Steeplechase title, securing nine important points, which put the championships beyond doubt, even as Edwin Allen picked up nine points in the race.

That meant Hydel only needed to finish second behind Edwin Allen in the much-anticipated 4x400m relay, a position Nastassia Fletcher, Oneika McAnnuff, Jody-Ann Daley and Alliah Baker safely secured to add another historic feat to their first Central Championship title won earlier in March.

Team captain McAnuff was was overcome with joy at the historic feat.

“It’s a great feeling [as] I’ve been a part of this team for seven years, and to so I’m elated that in my final year as captain I am able to lift the trophy with my coach. We wanted to win and we knew we had a chance to coming in, but it wasn’t until it came down to the 4×4 with two gold medallists on our team that I realised that we had actually won.

“At the end of the fourth day, I told my teammates never togive up regardless of what happens because it might come down to the last event and that’s what happened,” she said.

Earlier, overwhelming favourite Alexis James of Petersfield made no mistakes in the Girls’ Class One 100m hurdles, as she was quick and smooth between obstacles. She stopped the clock in 13.39s, ahead of Asharria Ulett (13.59s) of St Catherine and Edwin Allen’s Tonie-Ann Forbes (13.61s).

Jody-Ann Daley of Hydel finished tops in the Class Two 100m hurdles in 13.70s, with St Jago’s Bryanna Davidson (13.89s) and Shelley-Ann Taylor of Excelsior (13.92s) in second and third, respectively.

Wolmer’s Girls had success in the Girls’ Class Three 80m hurdles and Class Four 70m hurdles respectively, with Tiana Marshall (11.29s) and Jadea Harris.

Marshall won ahead of St Catherine’s Akeelah Ellis (11.48s) and Angel Robinson (11.52s) of Edwin Allen, while Harris was followed by Ayanna Blake (11.08s) of Immaculate and Cordelia Gabbidon (11.30s) of Excelsior.

As expected, Hydel’s Alana Reid sealed the Girls’ Class One sprint double with another comfortable win in the 200m, stopping the clock at 23.08s in a negative 2.0 mps wind speed. Mickayla Gardener (23.89s) of Wolmer’s Girls and Holmwood Technical’s Rickiann Russell (24.16s) took the minor placing.

Shemonique Hazel ensured it was back-to-back victories for the Ferry-located school when she took the Class Two 200m in a bang-up finish with Lacovia’s Sabrina Dockery. Both were clocked at 24.36s in a negative 3.7 mps wind reading. Brittney McCormack (24.73s) of Bridgeport was third.

Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge was denied the Girls’ Class Three sprint double, as she was beaten into second by Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls. East tracked her rival before storming past in the latter stages to win in 24.20 in a negative 0.6 mps wind reading.

Terrelonge was second in 24.64s and Hydel’s Onetta Mitchell (24.92s) third.

But there were no such issues for Immaculate’s Kayla Johnson, who comfortably completed the Girls’ Class Four sprint double when she topped the 200m final in 25.29s, running in a negative 1.4 mps wind speed. Hydel’s Gabrielle Morgan (25.54s) and Tresha-Lee Sutherland (25.58s) of Clarendon College were second and third, respectively.

Meanwhile, Edwin Allen’s Amoya Jameison made amends for her 1,500m flop, as she outlasted her previous conquerors Jody-Ann Mitchell and Kishay Rowe, to win the Girls’ Class One 800m.

Jameison clocked 2:09.85, with Mitchell (2:10.05) of Holmwood Technical and Rowe (2:10.24) of Alphansus Davis taking the minor placing.

Another stalwart from the Frankfield-based school, Monique Stewart made it two in two with victory in the Girls’ Class Two 800m to go with her 1,500m triumph. Stewart (2:11.00), like she did in the 1,500m, again staved off the challenge of Holmwood Technical’s Cindy Rose (2:11.67) with Kitania Headley (2:11.73) of St Catherine taking bronze.

After finishing third last year, St Jago’s Kedera Coombs secured a massive upgrade as she found a fresh wind of energy to sweep by rivals in the stretch to win the Girls’ Class Three 800m final.

Coombs stopped the clock in 2:15.49 ahead of St Mary’s College’s Latanya Dixon (2:16.03) and 1,500m champion Alikay Reynolds (2:16.59) of Alphansus Davis.

FINAL POINTS STANDINGS

1) Hydel High 279

2) Edwin Allen High 277

3) Holmwood Technical 202

4) St Jago High 178

5) St Catherine High 116

6) Wolmer’s Girls’ School 111

7) Immaculate Conception 94

8) Excelsior High 74.50

9) St Elizabeth Technical 45.50

10) Mount Alvernia High 39

11) Alphansus Davis High 38

12) Vere Technical 34.50

12) St Mary High 34.50

14) Camperdown High 30

15) Clarendon College 29

16) Manchester High 20

17) Petersfield High 16

17) Holy Childhood High 16

19) William Knibb Memorial 14

19) Lacovia High 14

19) Glengoffe High 14

22) Rhodes Hall High 12

23) Ferncourt High 8

24) St Mary’s College 7

24) Campion College 7

24) Bridgeport High 7

24) Port Antonio High 7

28) Muschett High 6

29) Merl Grove High 5

30) The Queen’s School 4.50

30) Alpha Academy 4.50

32) Maggotty High 4

32) Westwood High 4

32) Sydney Pagon Agricultural 4

35) Bellefield High 3

35) Manning’s High 3

37) Happy Grove High 2

37) Clan Carthy High 2

39) Denbigh High 1