JC STILL FLYING
Dominant “True Blue” on the brink of Champs glory
Jamaica College (JC) took a stranglehold on the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships with a commanding 54-point lead over Kingston College (KC) heading into the final day, after another dominating display inside the National Stadium on Friday.
JC raced to 160 points after 21 of the 42 finals up to press time and are well on their way to securing its 23rd lien on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy. It would seem that only an act of God can deny the boys from Old Hope Road from winning their first title since 2021.
KC, hanging onto a slim but fading glimmer of hope, are second on 106 points, with former champions Calabar High sitting in third spot on 78.5 points, St Jago High are fourth on 52 points with Wolmer’s Boys rounding out the top five with 41 points.
JC’s Michael-Andre Edwards captured his second gold medal at this year’s championship, soaring to 16.25m to win the Class One triple jump event. He had won the long jump on Thursday with 7.71m. KC’s Amani Phillips was second with 15.34m, finishing ahead of Antonio Anderson of Calabar with 15.21m.
Edwards, the most successful horizontal jumper in Champs history with eight gold medals and one silver, achieved his best mark in the series on the final jump having already registered the top four marks in the competition with distances of 15.60m, 15.50m and 15.36m, ensuring he will be leaving JC a happy man in this is his final year.
Jamaica College star Michael-Andre Edwards closed out his Champs career with gold in the Class 1 Boys’ triple jump final, which he won with a leap of 16.25m. Naphtali Junior
He has committed to the Kansas State University, where he will be guided by Travis Geopfert, who was recently named Midwest Region Men’s Coach of the Year. With Geopfert the director of Track and Field, Edwards will be working more closely with Jamaican Olympian Clive Pullen, who is the assistant coach in charge of jumps.
Two records were broken on the boys’ side courtesy of St Jago’s Marquies Page in the Class 2 110m hurdles, stopping the clock at 12.98 seconds, as he pointed to the timer while crossing the line.
Excelsior’s Jaeden Campbell clocked a record 50.87 seconds to win the Class 2 400m Hurdles final.
Page was erasing his fellow St Jago student Vashaun Vascianna’s record of 13.26, which was established in 2019.
In the first boys’ final – the Class 3 long jump, JC picked up where they left off on Thursday, as Nathan-Neil Heirs won with the leap of 6.37m on his last attempt, overtaking KC’s Joel Patrickson, who led from the fourth round with 6.11m. Romario Franklyn of Titchfield High was third with 5.99m.
Tray Barrett of St Jago High won the Pole Vault Open, clearing 3.90m. AL’J Lewis of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) was second with 3.70m and Jurel Clement of KC was third with 3.70m. JC’s Daniel Facey and Mikail McKenzie were fourth and sixth, respectively, both with 3.70m, for nine big points. KC got seven points as Errol Henry was eight with 3.20m.
At this point, after 17 finals, JC were out front on 147 points, 53 more than KC on 94. Calabar High were third on 69.5 points. The boys from Old Hope Road were well on their way to victory.
The 200m are shaping up to be just as exciting as the other sprints with Class 1 champion Sanjay Seymore of Williams stopping the clock at 20.85 seconds to be the fastest qualifier heading into the final.
JC’s Makaelan Wood of Trinidad and Tobago was second fastest with 20.97. Camperdown High’s Deequan Maragh won his semi-final in 21.03 and Tenny Daley of St Mary’s High won semi-final two in 21.14.
KC looked strong in Class 2 as 400m record holder Jason Pitter eased into the final, clocking 21.33, which was the second fastest. But it was his teammate Emmile Higgins of the Bahamas who was quickest with 21.12.
KC’s Kemanic Edwards and Wolmer’s Joshua McWilliams were quickest in Class 3, clocking 22.32 but 100m champion Ajani Lumley is still the man to beat as he jogged home in 22.75.
KC looked good in qualifying in the Class 2 triple jump, leaping to 14.54m. His teammate Joshua Patrick was third best with 14.41m and Omari Gordon of Wolmer’s was second best with 14.43m.
Calabar High were the fastest qualifiers in the 4×400 relay, clocking 3:12.53, with KC winning their heat in 3:12.95. Edwin Allen was third best with 3:15.08 as JC took it easy, clocking 3:17.43.
Deandre Parker, 22.79, of Jamaica College (right) gives race winner Ajani Lumley, 22.75, of Wolmer’s Boys a high five at the end of their semi-final of the Boys’ Class 3 200 metres at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Friday, March 27, 2026. Garfield Robinson