COCAA Western Champs start today
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Thirty-six finals, 30 of them in the field events, will be decided on Wednesday’s first day of the two day County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA) Western High School Championships to be held at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex in Santa Cruz, set to start at 8:45 am.
Thirty-one boys schools and 28 girls schools are set to compete at the championships that will continue and end on Saturday at GC Foster Sports College.
St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) will be defending both titles but are expected to be challenged by William Knibb Memorial in the boys section and Mt Alvernia High in the girls section.
All six 1500m finals will be contested Wednesday with the first rounds of 100m, 200m 400m, 800m, sprint and inter-mediate hurdles all set to be contested along with the semi-finals of the three relays- 4x100m, 4x400m and sprint medley, in both genders.
Munro College, who have dominated the boys throws all season, are expected to lead at the end of the day with the likes of Devonte Edwards and Rajeem Street in Class 1 and world Under 18 shot put leader Javonte Edwards who is a solid lock to defend both titles he won last year.
Cornwall College is expected to be competitive with the likes of Mar-Lando Farquharson in the Class 1 throws and Junior Wright in Class 2.
STETHS’ Ricoy Hunter is expected to defend his Class 1 boys long jump title while Herbert Morrison Technical’s Santino Distin is the favourite to win the Class 1 high jump event.
William Knibb Memorial’s Cheyenne Cooper will start favourite to win the Class 1 high jump while STETHS’ Chloe Palmer goes into the Class 1 long jump with the best mark of the season so far.
While only the first rounds of the sprints will be held Wednesday, the stage will be set for what is expected to be a competitive Class 1 where Muschett High’s Johan-Ramaldo Smythe, who has run 10.4 seconds already this season, will clash against Herbert Morrison’s Tavaine Stewart and Munro College’s Romario Hines in the 200m.
On the female side, Lacovia High’s Sabrina Dockery is expected to dominate Class 1 and Muschett High’s Shanoya Douglas in Class 2.
Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High (left) and Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High participating in the Class 2 Girls 200m preliminaries at last year’s COCAA Western Champs Day 1 held at Cornwall College on February 15. (Photo: Paul Reid)
