THERE is an anticipation of fast times and close contests on the second and final day of County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA) Western Championships at G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport.

After the throwing events and most of the jumping events were completed on Wednesday’s opening day, which was held at St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex, the action today will be focused on the track where a number of outstanding performances are expected.

Munro College boys and St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) girls lead their respective sections going into the final day, with the race for overall champions expected to be close as well.

Former boys’ champions Munro College lead after 15 finals on the first day with 131.5 points. William Knibb Memorial High are in second place with 89.5 points, just marginally ahead of defending boys’ champions STETHS (89). Cornwall College, on 81 points, and Herbert Morrison Technical (55) round out the top five.

Defending girls’ champions STETHS are leading their section on 118 points after 16 finals, 22 more than second-place Mount Alvernia High (96). William Knibb Memorial are third on 75 points, followed by Black River High (51) and Petersfield High (46).

The regional championships, which was first held in the 1950s, has produced a number of outstanding Jamaican track and field athletes such as treble world record holder Usain Bolt, reigning World Championships Men’s 400m champion Antonio Watson, and former World Athletics Championships triple jump gold medalist Trecia-Kay Smith.

Today marks the first time it is to be held outside the region.

The absence of a synthetic running track in the region since the one at the sports complex in Catherine Hall, St James, was deemed unusable for that purpose forced the organisers to make the move to G C Foster. Some coaches have complained that their athletes were at a disadvantage in qualifying for the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Athletics Championships due to the slower times when running on grass.

The Boys’ Class 1 sprints — from 100m to 400m — could highlight the day’s action, with some mouth-watering matchups on schedule.

In the 100m, defending champion Tramaine Todd of STETHS; last year’s Class 2 champion Tavaine Stewart of Herbert Morrison Technical; and Muschett High’s Yohan-Ramaldo Smythe, who has run 10.55 seconds already this season, are expected to clash.

Jamaica’s World Under-20 Championships representative Romario Hines of Munro College and Smythe are expected to battle for the 200m gold medal. Hines is the Class 1 200m defending champion while Smythe broke the Class 2 record last year.

Hines is to also contest the 400m race in which he is expected to go up against the William Knibb Memorial pair of Jabari Matheson and Joshua Wint as well as defending champion Mario Birch of Cornwall College.

World Under-20 Championships 200m bronze medallist Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High will start overwhelming favourite to win the Class 2 sprint double, while World Under-20 relay gold medallist Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High should oblige in Class 1.

Herbert Morrison Technical’s Trevoy Smith led after Wednesday’s first round of the Class 1 110m hurdles, but will have defending champion Reynaldo Johnson of STETHS to deal with. Last year’s bronze medallist Shamare Hutchinson of William Knibb Memorial is also down to feature.

— Paul A Reid