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Campbell smashes 17-year-old 5000m record
BY KAYON RAYNOR Sunday Observer senior reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield erased a 17-year-old record in the 5000m, his second of the meet (the first being the 1500m), to highlight yesterday's last day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' Championships as Kingston College (KC) dethroned Calabar by 1.5 points to win their 31st lien on the Mortimer Geddes trophy at the National Stadium.
With KC leading by four-and-a-half points going into the last of 37 finals - the 4x400 relay - and two of their top quarter-milers (Akino Ming and Keiron Stewart) injured, the writing was on the wall for the title holders Calabar.
Jubilant Kingston College athletes and supporters celebrate their narrow Boys Championship victory over rivals Calabar at the National Stadium last night. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
With 30,000 cheering spectators, the calculation was that Calabar needed to win the mile relay, while KC needed to finish no less than third to win their first championships since 2006.
In the end, Calabar finished third, courtesy of upsets by St Jago and St Elizabeth Technical, who placed first and second, while KC with Andre Peart on anchor carried the North Street school from sixth place to fourth in the race.
The Sunday Observer learnt that Calabar's Ramone McKenzie struggled with cramps to his right hamstring for the last 200m, but still finished the race. So it meant that the 'purples', driven by their motto - The brave may fall but never yield - won by the very slim margin of 1.5 points.
KC scored 223.5, ahead of Calabar 222, Jamaica College 154, Wolmer's 144 and St Jago 122.5 to round out the top five.
Ramone McKenzie (second right) of Calabar wins the Boys Class One 200 metres in 20.66secs ahead of teammate Oshane Bailey (left) and Nickel Ashmeade of St Jago (second left) at the National Stadium yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
Calabar's attempt at a magical escape from an overnight deficit of 30 points went well through defending champion Ramone 'Batman' McKenzie taking gold in 46.88 seconds and Ricardo Powell copping bronze in 47.86 seconds in the Class One 400m.
Dwayne Extol of Wolmer's took the bronze in 47.11secs. Rolando Berch of KC, who grabbed his left hamstring in the first 50 metres, limped home in seventh position with 58.07secs, while his teammate Akino Ming, who was expected to challenge for a medal, did not start. Ming had earlier withdrawn from the 200m semi-final with a calf injury. At that point, the race for the title started to get closer.
McKenzie, who sported a 'Batman' mask, captured two more gold medals in a bid to help the green and blacks from Red Hills Road lift their 22nd title, but that was not to be as the purples prevailed.
McKenzie posted 20.66secs to win the 200m ahead of teammate Oshane Bailey (20.99), before running the back stretch on Calabar's winning 4x100m team (39.90secs).
KC's victory run was led mainly by outgoing senior Keiron Stewart, who won the 110m and 400m hurdle events.
Clive Pullen won gold medals in the long and high jump events, and silver in the Class 3 100m hurdles.
World junior bronze medallist Stewart clocked 13.79secs to retain his 110m hurdles title, adding to his 400m hurdles crown on Friday. Stewart, who also contested the 200m final, was stretchered off the track with a left hamstring injury, after limping across the line in a pedestrian 34.45secs.
Pullen, who won gold medals in the long and high jump events, just failed to win his third individual gold of the championships when he clocked 13.85secs for silver in the Class 3 100m hurdles behind Davin Dennis of St Elizabeth Technical 13.79secs. The KC pair of Stefan Fennell (13.94) and Lemmar Wilson (14.14secs) completed the quinella in the Class 2 equivalent ahead of Munro College's Patrick Campbell 14.33secs. Kemar Williams of Calabar was third in 13.96secs.
Rondale Watson of Calabar posted an impressive 17.28 metres to set a new Class 1 shot put record, while his teammate Chad Wright took bronze in 16.44m. The old mark was established by KC's Camoi Hood. Odaine Chisolm of St Jago was second with 16.74m.
Fifteen-year-old Jazeel Murphy of Bridgeport produced a blistering last 60 metres to win the Class 2 200m in 21.38secs to complete the sprint double. He had posted 10.44secs to win the 100m on Friday. Antonio Henry of KC won the Class 3 equivalent in 22.45secs.
Carifta champion Waquar DaCosta of JC clocked 1 minute 57.44secs to retain his title and complete the gruelling 800m/1500m double for the second straight year. His teammate, Earl Grant, clawed his way back from fifth position with 50 metres remaining to take silver in 1 minute 58.94 ahead of Holmwood Technical's San-J Powell 1 minute 59.00secs. Kevon Robinson of Foga Road High and Peter Matthews of DeCarteret High, both newcomers, won their first ever gold medal at Champs, taking the classes 3 and 1 800m respectively.
David-Paul Thompson of St Jago won the Class 2 high jump on count-back ahead of Calabar's Demar Robinson and Jason Lewis of Wolmer's who all cleared 1.95m.
St George's College, courtesy of fine upsets by Jermaine Fyffe and Ahkiel Bowes-Savage, won the 400m in classes 2 and 3.
Fyffe ran a brilliant last 150 metres to catch and pass favourite Jevere Bell, who led by 20 metres, to win the event in 48.45secs. Rolando Reid of Munro College took silver with 48.76secs, while Javon Williams of St Jago was third with 48.90. Bell finished fourth in 49.11secs.
Final Boys Standings
1) KINGSTON COLLEGE 223.50
2) CALABAR HIGH 222
3) JAMAICA COLLEGE 154
4) WOLMERS' BOYS 144
5) ST JAGO HIGH 122.50
6) MUNRO COLLEGE 85
7) ST GEORGE'S COLLEGE 84
8) HOLMWOOD TECHNICAL 50
9) BRIDGEPORT HIGH 43
10) ST ELIZABETH TECHNICAL HIGH
38
11) MANCHESTER HIGH 29
12) EDWIN ALLEN HIGH 25
13) BELLEFIELD HIGH 23
14) ARDENNE HIGH 22
15) KELLITS HIGH 17
16) HERBERT MORRISON TECH 16
16) WILLIAM KNIBB MEMORIAL HIGH 16
18) OLD HARBOUR HIGH 13
19) MORANT BAY HIGH 11
20) FOGA ROAD HIGH 9
20) DeCARTERET COLLEGE 9
20) CAMPERDOWN HIGH 9
23) VERE TECHNICAL HIGH 7
23) TACIUS GOLDING HIGH 7
25) CORNWALL COLLEGE 6
25) PETERSFIELD HIGH 6
27) FROME HIGH 5
27) FERNCOURT HIGH 5
27) GLENGOFFE HIGH 5
27) CAMPION COLLEGE 5
27) SEAFORTH HIGH 5
27) HOLY TRINITY HIGH 5
33) ST THOMAS TECHNICAL HIGH 3
33) PAUL BOGLE HIGH 3
35) ST ANDREW TECHNICAL HIGH 2
35) CHRISTIANA HIGH 2
BY KAYON RAYNOR Sunday Observer senior reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield erased a 17-year-old record in the 5000m, his second of the meet (the first being the 1500m), to highlight yesterday's last day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' Championships as Kingston College (KC) dethroned Calabar by 1.5 points to win their 31st lien on the Mortimer Geddes trophy at the National Stadium.
With KC leading by four-and-a-half points going into the last of 37 finals - the 4x400 relay - and two of their top quarter-milers (Akino Ming and Keiron Stewart) injured, the writing was on the wall for the title holders Calabar.
Jubilant Kingston College athletes and supporters celebrate their narrow Boys Championship victory over rivals Calabar at the National Stadium last night. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)With 30,000 cheering spectators, the calculation was that Calabar needed to win the mile relay, while KC needed to finish no less than third to win their first championships since 2006.
In the end, Calabar finished third, courtesy of upsets by St Jago and St Elizabeth Technical, who placed first and second, while KC with Andre Peart on anchor carried the North Street school from sixth place to fourth in the race.
The Sunday Observer learnt that Calabar's Ramone McKenzie struggled with cramps to his right hamstring for the last 200m, but still finished the race. So it meant that the 'purples', driven by their motto - The brave may fall but never yield - won by the very slim margin of 1.5 points.
KC scored 223.5, ahead of Calabar 222, Jamaica College 154, Wolmer's 144 and St Jago 122.5 to round out the top five.
Ramone McKenzie (second right) of Calabar wins the Boys Class One 200 metres in 20.66secs ahead of teammate Oshane Bailey (left) and Nickel Ashmeade of St Jago (second left) at the National Stadium yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) Calabar's attempt at a magical escape from an overnight deficit of 30 points went well through defending champion Ramone 'Batman' McKenzie taking gold in 46.88 seconds and Ricardo Powell copping bronze in 47.86 seconds in the Class One 400m.
Dwayne Extol of Wolmer's took the bronze in 47.11secs. Rolando Berch of KC, who grabbed his left hamstring in the first 50 metres, limped home in seventh position with 58.07secs, while his teammate Akino Ming, who was expected to challenge for a medal, did not start. Ming had earlier withdrawn from the 200m semi-final with a calf injury. At that point, the race for the title started to get closer.
McKenzie, who sported a 'Batman' mask, captured two more gold medals in a bid to help the green and blacks from Red Hills Road lift their 22nd title, but that was not to be as the purples prevailed.
McKenzie posted 20.66secs to win the 200m ahead of teammate Oshane Bailey (20.99), before running the back stretch on Calabar's winning 4x100m team (39.90secs).
KC's victory run was led mainly by outgoing senior Keiron Stewart, who won the 110m and 400m hurdle events.
Clive Pullen won gold medals in the long and high jump events, and silver in the Class 3 100m hurdles.
World junior bronze medallist Stewart clocked 13.79secs to retain his 110m hurdles title, adding to his 400m hurdles crown on Friday. Stewart, who also contested the 200m final, was stretchered off the track with a left hamstring injury, after limping across the line in a pedestrian 34.45secs.
Pullen, who won gold medals in the long and high jump events, just failed to win his third individual gold of the championships when he clocked 13.85secs for silver in the Class 3 100m hurdles behind Davin Dennis of St Elizabeth Technical 13.79secs. The KC pair of Stefan Fennell (13.94) and Lemmar Wilson (14.14secs) completed the quinella in the Class 2 equivalent ahead of Munro College's Patrick Campbell 14.33secs. Kemar Williams of Calabar was third in 13.96secs.
Rondale Watson of Calabar posted an impressive 17.28 metres to set a new Class 1 shot put record, while his teammate Chad Wright took bronze in 16.44m. The old mark was established by KC's Camoi Hood. Odaine Chisolm of St Jago was second with 16.74m.
Fifteen-year-old Jazeel Murphy of Bridgeport produced a blistering last 60 metres to win the Class 2 200m in 21.38secs to complete the sprint double. He had posted 10.44secs to win the 100m on Friday. Antonio Henry of KC won the Class 3 equivalent in 22.45secs.
Carifta champion Waquar DaCosta of JC clocked 1 minute 57.44secs to retain his title and complete the gruelling 800m/1500m double for the second straight year. His teammate, Earl Grant, clawed his way back from fifth position with 50 metres remaining to take silver in 1 minute 58.94 ahead of Holmwood Technical's San-J Powell 1 minute 59.00secs. Kevon Robinson of Foga Road High and Peter Matthews of DeCarteret High, both newcomers, won their first ever gold medal at Champs, taking the classes 3 and 1 800m respectively.
David-Paul Thompson of St Jago won the Class 2 high jump on count-back ahead of Calabar's Demar Robinson and Jason Lewis of Wolmer's who all cleared 1.95m.
St George's College, courtesy of fine upsets by Jermaine Fyffe and Ahkiel Bowes-Savage, won the 400m in classes 2 and 3.
Fyffe ran a brilliant last 150 metres to catch and pass favourite Jevere Bell, who led by 20 metres, to win the event in 48.45secs. Rolando Reid of Munro College took silver with 48.76secs, while Javon Williams of St Jago was third with 48.90. Bell finished fourth in 49.11secs.
Final Boys Standings
1) KINGSTON COLLEGE 223.50
2) CALABAR HIGH 222
3) JAMAICA COLLEGE 154
4) WOLMERS' BOYS 144
5) ST JAGO HIGH 122.50
6) MUNRO COLLEGE 85
7) ST GEORGE'S COLLEGE 84
8) HOLMWOOD TECHNICAL 50
9) BRIDGEPORT HIGH 43
10) ST ELIZABETH TECHNICAL HIGH
38
11) MANCHESTER HIGH 29
12) EDWIN ALLEN HIGH 25
13) BELLEFIELD HIGH 23
14) ARDENNE HIGH 22
15) KELLITS HIGH 17
16) HERBERT MORRISON TECH 16
16) WILLIAM KNIBB MEMORIAL HIGH 16
18) OLD HARBOUR HIGH 13
19) MORANT BAY HIGH 11
20) FOGA ROAD HIGH 9
20) DeCARTERET COLLEGE 9
20) CAMPERDOWN HIGH 9
23) VERE TECHNICAL HIGH 7
23) TACIUS GOLDING HIGH 7
25) CORNWALL COLLEGE 6
25) PETERSFIELD HIGH 6
27) FROME HIGH 5
27) FERNCOURT HIGH 5
27) GLENGOFFE HIGH 5
27) CAMPION COLLEGE 5
27) SEAFORTH HIGH 5
27) HOLY TRINITY HIGH 5
33) ST THOMAS TECHNICAL HIGH 3
33) PAUL BOGLE HIGH 3
35) ST ANDREW TECHNICAL HIGH 2
35) CHRISTIANA HIGH 2
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