EDWIN Allen High will start their quest for a 10th ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) title this morning when the 115th staging of the five-day track and field spectacle gets underway at the National Stadium.

Edwin Allen, with one of the deepest squads, are prohibitive favourites to win back-to-back titles since Hydel High won their lone title in 2023, but Head Coach Michael Dyke is taking nothing for granted.

Former champions Holmwood Technical and Hydel are expected to push Edwin Allen and could be in the top three come Saturday night, while Corporate Area champions Excelsior, Immaculate Conception and many-time winners Vere Technical will all be in the running for a top five place.

The boys’ race is setting up to be one of the closest in years, but defending champions Kingston College are hoping to add the Mortimer Geddes Trophy as part of their centenary celebrations.

Calabar High, who have languished in the shadows since their last win in 2018, and Jamaica College who last won in 2021, are expected to make the boys’ race a riveting one from the start, but none of the ‘big three’ will be afforded any slip-ups.

While no points can be earned today, as there are no finals to be contested, the stage will be set with the preliminaries in the 100m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 1500m, as well as the Class One Boys’ long jump, Class One Girls’ high jump and discus throw, as well as the Class Two Girls’ shot put and long jump.

The Frankfield, Clarendon-based Edwin Allen have long had one of the elite female track and field programmes in the country and have dominated both regionally at Central Champs and at the ISSA national championships, but three losses in 14 years would be sufficient to keep everyone on their toes.

Edwin Allen were tipped to win in 2011 but Holmwood extended their winning run and subsequently prevented Edwin Allen retaining their first title by winning again in 2013.

Dyke was not ready to claim victory on Monday but told the Jamaica Observer, “We have been putting in the work and I know the young ladies are ready to give a good account of themselves once we get going at Champs.”

The man who has led Edwin Allen for more than 20 years said he has not given any thought to any point targets, sharing that the strength of his team lies in their depth and all-around team strength.

“For us to win, this will take an all-round team effort,” Dyke said. “We have a deep squad and we hope to start accumulating points from the start.”

Edwin Allen scored 333.50 points as they marched to victory last year. Only one of their last three title wins came with a points total below 300.

They managed 291 points in 2021, 352 points in 2022, and 277 in 2023 when they were second to Hydel.

He conceded, hesitantly, that if there is a “weak spot” in his team it is in the Class Two hurdles, but said they have enough potential points earners elsewhere to make up for any shortfall.

Dave Anderson, who has overseen the rebuilding of the once-mighty Holmwood Technical programme, said they are expecting “a top three finish”, but when pressed admitted they could spring a surprise.

“This is a championships,” he said. “We are not counting out our chances but everything would need to go almost perfect for us.”

Once again, Holmwood Technical will be depending on their middle distance group to lead the way.

“We have prepared well, and that will result in some good performances,” Anderson told the Observer. “The middle distance has been our bread and butter for years, and we are still strong there.”

Among the athletes he said could spring surprises this week are middle-distance runner Terrica Clarke, who will contest the steeplechase and the 3,000m; and sprinter Doniellia Lewis who transferred from Edwin Allen High.

Corey Bennett, the Hydel coach, said they are not a title threat this year, given what he calls “glaring weakness, especially in the lower classes”.

“We have never before been this weak in the Class Three hurdles but we hope athletes in other areas will step up.

“We expect the athletes in the older classes, Classes One and Two, to carry the weight for us. This won’t be a clean Champs for us but we will fight for every point that is there to be had.”

Florence Nafamba is one of Holmwood Technical’s key athletes this year. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High is one to watch this year. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Muschett High School’s Shanoya Douglas is another contender for gold this year. (Photo: Paul Reid)