MONTEGO BAY, St James — The organisers of the first staging of the Montego Bay Comets Athletics Club’s Run for the Republic development meet say they are pleased with the outcome.

Hosts Herbert Morrison Technical, who dominated their events, were among nine high schools to participate at the meet on Saturday.

Also participating were 10 schools in the prep and primary section as well as two clubs. Organisers say they hope it will be a part of the track and field calendar moving forward.

Aubrey Campbell, a member of the organising committee, told the
Jamaica Observer that “expectations were met” though there were teething pains.

“I could not have asked for more. Participation and performance met expectations for the planners as we were guardedly optimistic, given the limit on our resources, the first time out.

“There were hitches and glitches which did not go unnoticed, but with time, we are confident that we will present a first-rate development meet for the western half of the country, on par with any other at the moment. The goal is to provide a feeder for the [Milo Western Relays] which will celebrate its 46 staging this year,” he said.

He thanked Montreal Olympic 200m gold medallist Donald Quarrie, who was the meet patron, and others.

“The groundswell of support from key stakeholders like Herbert Morrison Technical, the JAAA [Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association], police, municipal corporation, fire, sports medicine is an indication that we are on the right track!”

Edward Vidal, the coach of the Irwin High team which was competing at its second meet of the season, welcomed the opportunity to compete in Montego Bay. He said being asked to spend upwards of $80,000 each weekend to attend meets in Kingston proved beyond their capabilities.

“It was a good look for the western side of the island to have something in place for schools who can’t afford to make the trip to Kingston or St Catherine on a weekly basis,” Vidal said, adding that after attending a meet at GC Foster College in St Catherine the previous weekend, the plans had originally been to “sit out” last weekend.

But he said those plans changed because the meet was virtually being held in their back yard.

“This would have given those athletes who did not go to the meet last week an opportunity for us coaches to see where they are in terms of development, especially the younger athletes, some of whom would have been going to their first track meet, they were exposed to what happens at a track meet, so it was a good one for our team,” he explained.

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have the use of the synthetic track [at] Catherine Hall to have this meet as we would have seen greater performance and better times leading to qualifying standards for the ISSA [Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association] championships.”

On the track, Herbert Morrison’s ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships gold medallist Tavaine Stewart won the boys’ Class Two sprint double, while his teammate, Davaughn Stevens, won the Class One boys’ 200m, beating teammates Chance Segree and Kymani Hemmings.

William Knibb Memorial’s Western Champs gold medallist and ISSA championships finalist Nathaniel Wallace won the boys’ 5000m in a creditable 17:06.63, beating his teammate Aldaine Brown (18:35.52).

Herbert Morrison’s Mikayla Gordon won the girls Class Two 100m, her teammate Janiyah Christie won the Class Three event, while Anchovy High’s Kelesia Williams won the girls’ Class Four 100m.