EDWIN Allen held off a hard-charging Hydel High to win their 10th ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships, dethroning the Ferry, St Catherine-based school at the 123rd staging that ended at the National Stadium last night.

Edwin Allen High were expected to win comfortably, after losing by the tightest of margins last year, but Hydel High staged a memorable come back to make the race interesting. It was decided over the last two events.

After starting the fifth and final day 43 points behind Edwin Allen who had secured 184, Hydel, who won their first title by two points in 2023, whittled down Edwin Allen High’s lead to single digits after the sprint medley relay. But a gutsy third place by Sushana Johnson in the 3000m Open gave Edwin Allen the breathing room they needed with one event to go, the 4x400m Relay Open, and thus they lifted the title.

Hydel’s Kaydeen Johnson defended her title though, beating Vere Technical’s Ashara Frater, but Edwin Allen’s Johnson, who was well behind far into the race, passed a number of athletes in the last 30m to pick up big points for her school.

Edwin Allen then finished second in the 4x400m relay, behind Hydel High, before they could start celebrating.

There were four double champions between the 100m and 400m, with Muschett High’s Shanoya Douglas taking an impressive Class Two 200m/400m, while 100m champions Alliah Baker of Hydel High in Class One, Natrece East of Wolmer’s High School for Girls in Class Three, and Teixiera Johnson of Hydel in Class Four, all added the 200m gold medal to their tally.

Muschett High’s Douglas rounded out a glorious week of top-class sprinting, getting out to a fast start and holding off the hard-charging 100m winner Theianna-Lee Terrelonge of Edwin Allen High in one of the most anticipated clashes of the day.

Douglas clocked 23.93 seconds (-3.5m/s) to Terrelonge’s 24.31s, with last year’s champion Shemonique Hazle of Hydel placing third with 24.38s.

Medal favourite and 100m silver medallist Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High, who had survived a false start in the 100m, was not so lucky and was disqualified for jumping the start.

Baker ran away from a strong field in the last 40 metres to take the Class One gold medal with 23.89s (0.4m/s), with Bridgeport High’s Britnney McCormack taking the silver in 24.44s and Titchfield High’s Chevauna Grant of of Titchfield High moving one place up to fourth place in the 100m to take the bronze in 24.46s.

East extended her perfect season when she defended her Class Three title in 24.29s (-3.4m/s), Kimberly Wright of Immaculate Conception was second in 24.70s, and 400m champion Sashana Johnson of Hydel was third with 24.80s.

Johnson led a Hydel gold-silver finish in the Class Four 200m final, running 25.44s (-4.8m/s), followed by her teammate Tyecia McDonald (25.91s) and Wolmer’s Girls’ Mick-Kayla Gardner (26.11s).

There was a massive upset in the Class One 100m hurdles when the favourite, Habiba Harris of St Elizabeth Technical High — the fastest schoolgirl this season with 12.95 seconds — hit the second barrier and never recovered.

Hydel High’s Shania Myers, who was eighth last year, took advantage and won in a personal best 13.14 seconds (-2.0m/s). Holmwood Technical’s Kiara Meikle also ran a personal best 13.41 seconds for the silver and St Catherine High’s Asharria Ulett, who was second last year, settled for the bronze with 13.51 seconds.

Hydel High won two of the four 4x100m relays that were contested, in Class One and Four, with Edwin Allen and St Jago High sharing the other two.

The Hydel High Class One team ran 44.71 seconds, holding off Edwin Allen (45.18s) and a fast-finishing Wolmer’s Girls’ (45.83s).