Little-known Green Island sprinter Oshane Jervis is aiming to make a grand entry into this year’s Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) as he intends to outclass his rivals in the Class Two Boys 200m event.

Jervis, 15, who has been running well this season, created a shock at the Carifta Trials when he won the final of the Under-17 200m in 22.29 seconds at National Stadium at the weekend.

He led from start to finish, winning the event by more than five metres ahead of his competitors. Calabar’s Byron Walker was second in 22.41s, while third place went to Cornwall College’s Thomas Daley in 21.42s.

Jervis, with a personal best time of 21.62s in the event, switched from the long jump to the 200m at the start of the season after he failed to make the qualifying mark for Champs last year. This year marks the first time he will be competing at Champs, and he is looking forward to putting on a great showing for his school.

“This is my first year of running because last year I did the long jump but didn’t make it to Champs, so I switched from that event to the 200m as my coach realised that I had another purpose,” Jervis said. “I am feeling very excited and overwhelmed knowing that I will be competing at Champs for the first time, and I am proud of myself.

“I believe that I can upset the other competitors, but I know that I have to come harder and put a lot more training leading into the championships.”

Despite failing to win a medal at the Western Championships last month, finishing fourth in the 200m final, Jervis told the Jamaica Observer that with the backing of his coach and parents, he was determined to come out victorious at the Carifta Games.

“I am feeling very happy and grateful,” he said. “Thanks to my coach Mr Michael McIntosh because he is the reason why I am running today and also to my parents. I just want to tell them thanks for believing in me and continuing to push me to the limit.

“I have been putting in a lot of hard work to get here because I trained two times daily. I did not make the 200m final at Western Champs because I came fourth, but I decided not to give up, so I came back much stronger at this Carifta Trials, and I won.”