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Barclay Ewart: A champion of Champs
Troy Caine
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A report in the February 5 edition of the Sunday Observer on the Championship performances of the late Alexander Barclay Ewart appeared to have missed the mark on the facts as they relate to his four years of participation for Jamaica College at Champs from the early to the mid-1950s.
Indeed, Ewart held his own at a time when other Champs stars like Frank Hall, Teddy Hewitt, Carl Belnavis, Louis Knight, Howard Aris and David Lindo were dazzling in the galaxy.
However, his most outstanding achievement at Champs, which was winning the Class One Triple — ie 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards — was neither "a record that has never been broken" nor was it even achieved in 1953, as stated.
A careful perusal through Sir Herbert McDonald's History of the Inter-Secondary Schools Championship Sports (1970) will reveal that the Barclay Ewart Champs story for JC actually started in 1951 when he was a 15-year-old in Class Two. That year, he finished third in the Class Two 220 yards behind Kingston College's Carl Belnavis and D Campbell of St George's College.
He also placed fourth in the 440 yards, again behind Belnavis as well as H King of Happy Grove and B Parkes of St George's. And in the Class Two 4x110 relay, the JC team with Ewart managed only third behind George's and KC, with the latter retaining the Champs title over JC by some 16 points.
In 1952, when his team-mate Frank Hall blazed 9.9 seconds in the Class One 100 yards to shatter Norman Manley's 41-year record, Barclay Ewart's first year in the top class saw him running second to Hall in the 220 yards for a JC 1-2, edging out Peryer of Wolmer's and KC's Belnavis. That year, JC reigned at Champs for the 12th time, beating KC by just two points and no doubt enhanced by their victory in the Class One 4x110 relay in 44.8 seconds which equalled St George's record run in 1950.
In 1953, Barclay Ewart attained only third place in the 100 yards behind Louis Knight of George's and his JC colleague Frank Hall. He was also fourth in the 440 yards won by Georgian R Estick and third in the Shot Put (an open event) behind L Walker of Wolmer's and RR Muschett of Knox College.
But although the JC team with Ewart again captured the Class One 4x110 relay, and this time lowering the record by a full second, they were still only able to place fourth jointly with Munro College on 25 points in the final standings.
It was 1954 that turned out to be Barclay Ewart's big year as a real shining star at Champs when he finally copped the Triple. His 10.3-second dash in the 100 yards sprint left Munro's David Lindo in his wake, his 22.5 seconds in the 220 yards dash was beyond Excelsior's L Wilks, and his incredible run of 51 seconds flat in the 440 yards flattened the others led by Calabar's Roy Greenland.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1mCaCix9O
Troy Caine
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A report in the February 5 edition of the Sunday Observer on the Championship performances of the late Alexander Barclay Ewart appeared to have missed the mark on the facts as they relate to his four years of participation for Jamaica College at Champs from the early to the mid-1950s.
Indeed, Ewart held his own at a time when other Champs stars like Frank Hall, Teddy Hewitt, Carl Belnavis, Louis Knight, Howard Aris and David Lindo were dazzling in the galaxy.
However, his most outstanding achievement at Champs, which was winning the Class One Triple — ie 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards — was neither "a record that has never been broken" nor was it even achieved in 1953, as stated.
A careful perusal through Sir Herbert McDonald's History of the Inter-Secondary Schools Championship Sports (1970) will reveal that the Barclay Ewart Champs story for JC actually started in 1951 when he was a 15-year-old in Class Two. That year, he finished third in the Class Two 220 yards behind Kingston College's Carl Belnavis and D Campbell of St George's College.
He also placed fourth in the 440 yards, again behind Belnavis as well as H King of Happy Grove and B Parkes of St George's. And in the Class Two 4x110 relay, the JC team with Ewart managed only third behind George's and KC, with the latter retaining the Champs title over JC by some 16 points.
In 1952, when his team-mate Frank Hall blazed 9.9 seconds in the Class One 100 yards to shatter Norman Manley's 41-year record, Barclay Ewart's first year in the top class saw him running second to Hall in the 220 yards for a JC 1-2, edging out Peryer of Wolmer's and KC's Belnavis. That year, JC reigned at Champs for the 12th time, beating KC by just two points and no doubt enhanced by their victory in the Class One 4x110 relay in 44.8 seconds which equalled St George's record run in 1950.
In 1953, Barclay Ewart attained only third place in the 100 yards behind Louis Knight of George's and his JC colleague Frank Hall. He was also fourth in the 440 yards won by Georgian R Estick and third in the Shot Put (an open event) behind L Walker of Wolmer's and RR Muschett of Knox College.
But although the JC team with Ewart again captured the Class One 4x110 relay, and this time lowering the record by a full second, they were still only able to place fourth jointly with Munro College on 25 points in the final standings.
It was 1954 that turned out to be Barclay Ewart's big year as a real shining star at Champs when he finally copped the Triple. His 10.3-second dash in the 100 yards sprint left Munro's David Lindo in his wake, his 22.5 seconds in the 220 yards dash was beyond Excelsior's L Wilks, and his incredible run of 51 seconds flat in the 440 yards flattened the others led by Calabar's Roy Greenland.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1mCaCix9O
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