Kingston College (KC) Head Coach Leaford Grant has expressed his satisfaction with the team’s build-up to next month’s highly anticipated Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association Boys’ Championships, which will be held at the National Stadium March 25-29.

KC has won four out of the last five championships, including last year’s event, which they easily dominated. The North Street-based institution secured its 35th hold on the title in 2024 after they amassed a whopping 335 points. They were followed by Jamaica College (278) and Calabar (194).

However, this year’s competition is expected to be much closer, with strong challenges anticipated from JC and Calabar.

“We still have some way to go and some preparations to do. We are going to look at Corporate Area Champs and see how the boys look in their individual events and then we will come up with a plan for the championships,” Grant said.

As part of the build-up to the major showpiece, the Corporate Area Championships are to be held March 7-8 at Jamaica College’s Ashenheim Complex.

Grant remains cautious but optimistic about his team’s preparation to date.

“The team is getting there and I don’t want to make any commitments right now, but I know that we are improving little by little. A month is a long time if you understand the whole championship, so at this time, I am okay,” he said.

He also emphasised the unpredictability of the championship.

“The championship is won on the day, and you won’t only hear me say that; you will hear all the experienced coaches saying the same from past experiences,” Grant said. “You have teams that come in looking like winners, but after Wednesday, they end up fourth or fifth. You can’t judge Champs based on what is happening now at some of these qualifying meets.”

Grant said there are various factors that can impact the boys’ championships both on and off the track over the five days of competition. “There are so many different factors that affect Champs. There are people out there who are running now [at development meets] but simply can’t compete at Champs [due to eligibility rules] and that’s a major factor. What we have to stay focused on is using these meets to qualify for Champs, assessing the situation going into Champs, and then seeing how best we can outscore our opponents,” he said.

— Robert Bailey