Talented Holmwood Technical quarter-miler Rickiann Russell is on a mission this season to achieve something that no other high school female has ever done.

Her big goal is to break the 51-second barrier at the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships later this month.

The highly anticipated five-day championships will be held at the National Stadium March 28-April 1.

Russell, who has established herself as the top high school 400m runner this season, signalled her intention at Central Championships last week when she clocked a personal best 51.73 to win the event at GC Foster College.

If Russell’s performance at Central Championships is anything to go by, then Sonita Sutherland, who also competed for Holmwood at girls’ Champs, could see her record of 51.13 erased at the upcoming championships.

Dave Anderson, head coach of Holmwood, told the Jamaica Observer that based on Russell’s improvements this season, he is expecting her to run much faster at Champs.

“She is training fairly well, and for the most part, she is injury free and that is the most important thing, and so once nothing happens going into Champs, I am expecting her to gradually improve her times at Champs,” said Anderson.

“It [50 seconds] is possible, but it is a championship and it is over five days so anything can happen, but the most important thing for me is to get her to win the event at Champs.

“I think that based on what is happening, she is definitely going to need another PB [personal best] to win the event. I think it is possible once she executes the race properly, then I think she should be able to run faster than 51 seconds,” he added.

The 19-year-old Russell, who has been a part of Holmwood’s 4x400m relay teams for the past four years, finished off the podium in both the 200m and 400m events at last year’s Girls’ Championships.

Anderson pointed out that his charge is very determined and confident of winning gold medals in both events this year.

“She has always been a good competitor because she has never been a person who will back down from competition, and now that she is in very good shape, I think her confidence is very much higher than the last two years,” he stated.

“I think she is very confident, but she also knows that she has to keep working and staying focused. She has been a member of our 4x400m relay team from Class Three and she always gives that determined run on the third leg even while she was in Class Three and she has represented Jamaica more than once and she has very good experience,” Anderson said.