St Jago’s Dawkins breaks new ground in girls’ triple jump
St Jago High’s Jade-Ann Dawkins achieved an unprecedented feat at the 115th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships when she won a third-straight triple jump Open after producing a crunch, season’s best 13.11m (0.9m/s) effort on Friday’s penultimate day at the National Stadium.
Dawkins led with 12.83m (-0.7m/s) after the second round, but was passed by Edwin Allen High’s Deijanae Bruce who got out to 12.91m in the fourth round.
The response was immediate and decisive as Dawkins produced her best jump in the fourth round and followed up with two more 13.00-plus efforts.
Bruce, who broke her own personal best twice in the competition, took the silver medal with 13.01m (0.8m/s), while Hydel High’s Sabrina Atkinson finished third with 12.85m (-1.5m/s).
Bruce was winning a second medal of the day after she had taken the bronze medal in the Class One high jump earlier, clearing 1.73m. She was second in the high jump last year.
Wolmer’s Girls’ Danielle Noble, third in Class One last year, won the gold with 1.80m. Last year’s Class Two winner Shanniqua Williams of St Andrew High was second, also with 1.73m.
Hydel High’s Brandane Malcolm won the Class Two discus throw with a season’s best 46.54m ahead, of shot put bronze medallist Jada Francis of Immaculate Conception with 44.89m. The pre-event favourite and shot put winner Jamelia Young of Clarendon College placed third with 43.81m.
The Class Three gold medal went to St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Tauntyae Sherman, who threw 38.25m to beat Zoeyann Plummer of Excelsior High. Plummer had a best mark of 37.99m, while Vere Technical’s Lakaila Flemmings took the bronze with 35.69m.
All three medallists from the Class Three girls’ high jump on Thursday will go in search of a second jump medal on Saturday’s final day.
St Mary High’s Sackoya Palmer, St Jago High’s Brianna Stewart and Campion College’s Stefvanco Henry all qualified for Saturday’s long jump finals.
Palmer, who won the high jump gold, advanced to the long jump final with 5.08m (0.5m/s), the fifth-best mark on Friday. Henry, the high jump bronze medallist, has the best mark of 5.58m (-1.2m/s).
Stewart was the last qualifier with a best of 4.83m (-1.8m/s).
— Paul A Reid
