THE opening day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) at the National Stadium begins today, with several western Jamaica athletes expected to be among the standout performers over the five-day meet.

Among those likely to make an impact are Shanoya Douglas of Holland High, along with Sanjay Seymore and Jabari Matheson of William Knibb Memorial, as they chase individual and team success.

That this trio, along with dozens more from schools across western Jamaica, are even in Kingston for what is expected to be another spellbinding edition of ‘Champs is itself a significant achievement.

Green Island High Head Coach and Vice-Principal Michael McIntosh said the presence of western schools at Champs “can be summed up in one word – resilience”, adding that “the summation of the efforts is a direct result of the hard work of the coaches, school administration and the students, and this shows the passion and growth of the sport in the region”.

McIntosh said he expects William Knibb to challenge for a top-five finish with a group of “very good, well-coached athletes,” while Munro College and St Elizabeth Technical High School should perform well in the field events. First-time Western Champs female champions Mt Alvernia High are also expected to make their mark.

In the days and weeks following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, survival – in some cases on a personal level – took priority over everything else.

Western Jamaica bore the brunt of the storm, which tore off roofs from homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, and in some cases flattened buildings and cut off entire communities. The restart of sports was not a priority.

That just five months later, dozens of schools from the region not only have representation at the championships but are also expected to deliver strong performances is, in the words of one coach, “nothing short of a miracle.”

William Knibb’s Rodrick Myles said he does not expect western schools to finish in the top five on either the boys’ or girls’ side, but believes there could be “pockets of brilliance here and there”.

Myles said preparing athletes from some of the hardest-hit areas to compete at Champs “shows toughness; this is what resilience is all about. The fact that we have athletes expected to win medals in some of the blue riband events is not an easy feat”.

He said there is still “a gap between the schools that were not affected and those who were”, but expects the region to make an impression.

McIntosh said the return to preparation and competition “was a catharsis for many of the athletes, some of whom are still without a roof over their homes, or water or electricity. What we are seeing shows us the level of human capacity to overcome against the odds”.

One of the western schools still trying to return to normalcy is Sydney Pagon High School in St Elizabeth, where Head Coach Kirk Beckford told the Jamaica Observer on Monday that the institution has not yet been fully re-electrified.

He also mentioned several athletes who have impressed this season, including Kamoya Graham, Alexia Palmer and Annataseca Blackwood, noting that their hard work is beginning to pay off.

“With some luck, and if everyone does their best, we could get into the top 10, but I don’t want to pressure them. I think we will be around the top 12 or so,” Beckford said.

He said Sydney Pagon was among the schools badly damaged by the storm, and once most of the team was able to regroup, training resumed – often at significant personal cost.

William Knibb Memorial’s Sanjay Seymore (Photo: Garfield Robinson)