St Jago High’s Jade-Ann Dawkins breathed a sigh of relief after she won the Girls’ Under-19 triple jump with a season’s best 13.07m (0.2m/s) on Thursday’s first day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior Championships at the National Stadium.

She attained the qualifying mark for the World Athletics Under-20 championships set to be held in Lima, Peru, in late August.

Dawkins finished ahead of Jaeda Robinson of Immaculate who had a best mark of 12.80m (0.4m/s) on her final jump. Edwin Allen High’s Deijaae Bruce jumped 12.62m (0.8m/s) for third.

Coming into the championships, Robinson was the only Jamaican to have gone over the 12.90m qualifying standard for the World Under-20 with a personal best 13.21m achieved at the high schools’ athletics championships in March.

Despite extending her unbeaten run all season, the 18-year-old Dawkins said it has been a difficult one as she has battled injuries and other setbacks.

“It’s been rough. Yeah, the whole season [has] been rough for me but it shows how strong and determined I am to get through it,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

After winning at the high schools’ championships with a wind-aided 13.28m (2.6m/s), Dawkins who had a wind legal 12.74m, also won at the Penn Relays with 13.01m. She said she will be working with her coach on getting better for what she hopes will be a good showing in Lima.

Also Thursday, Shamoyea Morris won the Girls’ Under-19 discus throw with a personal best 50.83m, over the World Under-20 qualifying mark of 49.00m.

Najhada Seymoure of Excelsior High was next with 47.28m and Able Mills of St Catherine High was third with 44.86m.

Alliah Gittens of Edwin Allen High won the Girls’ Under-19 javelin throw with 39.57m, beating Ramona Freemantle of Vere Technical (34.46m) and Imani Lowe of St Catherine High (32.49m).

Excelsior High’s Daniel Wright, the high schools’ championships Class 1 gold medallist in the 400m hurdles, was impressive with a 52.64 seconds to win his heat, leading the way into Friday afternoon’s final.

Princewell Martin of Jamaica College was second best with 53.46, just ahead of St Jago High’s Brandon Harris (53.48) seconds in heat two.

Calabar High’s Shadane Smith ran 53.63 seconds and Shevon Depass of William Knibb Memorial timed 53.77.

Edwin Allen High’s Kelly All Kerr, led the qualifiers for Friday’s final of the girls’ 400m hurdles after she ran 1:01.48 to win the first heat that was held Thursday morning.

Chennai Jarrett was second best with 1:01.68, followed by Aaliyah Mullings of Hydel High (1:01.85) and Rhodes Hall High’s Rhianna Lewis (1:02.50).