THE STETHS/ Ollivierre/ Smith Invitational Meet will only go ahead in January 2026 if western-based schools will benefit from the staging of the event, says organisers.

Schools in western sections of Jamaica have been badly affected by Hurricane Melissa which struck in late October, causing damage to schools including buildings and other facilities.

There is expectation that a number of schools will not be able to prepare teams to compete in the track and field season which started a week ago and is to intensify in January, with meets across the island each weekend leading up to the ISSA Championships in March.

Given the scarcity of resources it is expected that travelling to customary meets in the Corporate Area and St Catherine might be out of reach for a number of schools, and its expected that meets such as the STETHS Invitational would offer options.

In a recent interview with veteran journalist Leighton Levy on the Mr Analyst podcast, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) Principal Keith Wellington said given the cost to stage the meet, as it relates to the logistics that go into organising the event, they would only consider it if enough western schools are committed to using the meet as part of their preparation.

“We have not yet made a final call on that yet. What we want, to be honest, is to see if we can keep our track meet to benefit the western schools. If we are not going to be able to help the western schools we are not going to have it this year,” Wellington said.

The organising committee is set to make its decision before the end of the year.

“Once we make a decision to go ahead it is going to be because we believe that our neighbouring schools need that sort of opportunity and that it will benefit them,” he reiterated.

“Financially, it would be a burden on us. And in terms of logistics — based on what has happened to the other schools — it is going to be difficult. But, we want to do it if we believe that the schools in western Jamaica need that type of support. For the last 10 years or so there have been no meets at the [Montego Bay Sports Complex in] Catherine Hall… and we know these schools will depend on the opportunity to participate at STETHS, although it is a grass track but it gives them a fairly good gauge of where they are. So really, our track meet this year would be really geared towards helping western Jamaica,” Wellington further explained

The meet, which was set for the final Saturday in January, was included on the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) schedule at the JAAA Annual Calendar Conference held earlier this year.

Wellington said organisers will meet with schools in the western region before arriving at a decision.

“So we will make our final call in another two weeks, at most, when we have had the opportunity to hear from our counterparts in Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, St James, in particular. We are not overly concerned about the Manchester and Clarendon schools, because if they miss the opportunity this year they will have other cost-effective opportunities to participate elsewhere,” he said.

During a meeting held by ISSA in November, a number of school coaches had expressed concern about the cost to travel to the south-eastern parts of the country for meets on synthetic surfaces, and there had been suggestions to stage meets in western Jamaica, particularly in St Elizabeth and St James.

WELLINGTON… we want to do it if we believe that the schools in western Jamaica need that type of support