Holmwood Technical captures their ninth straight Girls title

Holmwood Technical captures their ninth straight Girls title


Sunday, April 03, 2011

IN a battle of wills, experience prevailed as Holmwood Technical last night captured their ninth straight Girls Championship title, beating longtime nemesis Edwin Allen by six points at the National Stadium.

The Frankfield, Clarendon-based Edwin Allen finally seemed ready to take the elusive title and actually entered the final day on 134 points to Holmwood's 130.

Edwin Allen star athlete Ristananna Tracey powers to her third victory, in the Class one Girls 400 metres, at the National Stadium yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

The lead changed hands several times yesterday but essential points in the relays helped the defending champions Holmwood establish themselves as they took the sprint medley in a new championships record 4:01.62, lowering their own mark of 4:01.92 set last year, finishing ahead of St Jago in 4:01.83 and Edwin Allen 4:05.84.

Holmwood also secured the class three sprint 4x100m relay in a record 45.83 seconds and the Class 1 sprint relay in 45.50, while Edwin Allen finished second in 45.77. The top two positions were reversed in the Class 4 version, where Edwin Allen won in 48.30 to Holmwood's 48.31.

Edwin Allen's Ristananna Tracey was not fast enough to catch Holmwood anchor runner Chris Ann Gordon in the final event, the open 4x400m as the champions finished second in 3:36.90 and retained their title with 326 points to Edwin Allen's 320.

Vere claimed the 4x400m in a meet record 3:33.17.

Holmwood's coach Maurice Wilson told the Sunday Observer the pundits and naysayers who said his team could not take the title gave them the motivation needed.

"I was extremely motivated based on all that was being said. I'm really extremely happy for all of the young ladies who showed tremendous courage. A champion is a champion and I know it was going to be very difficult for Edwin Allen to just steamroll us," he said.

Meanwhile, Tracey and St Andrew's Rushele Burton led a cadre of multiple medallists, each capturing a trio of individual gold.

Having already secured the 400m and 400m hurdles, Tracey made a quick start before storming away to a huge lead and a standing ovation in the Class 1 800m in 2:05.95, with teammate Desreen Montaque second in 2:09.01, and Chantal Duncan of Vere third in 2:09.44.

"I'm very determined. It's my last year of Champs and I want to leave a special mark here so that they can say, 'yes, Ristananna has done this in 2011 for Edwin Allen'," she told the Sunday Observer.

Tracey had earlier defended her Class 1 400m title, establishing a 10-metre lead by the 200m mark and widening by almost 30 metres by the finish, clocking 52.38. Manchester's Orenthia Bennett was second in 55.26, with Bellefield Moya McKenzie third in 56.10.

Burton captured her second gold when she came from behind to claim the Class 4 70m hurdles in 10.79 seconds, pipping Janeek Brown of Wolmer's.

Burton, who on Friday won the 100m in 12.19 ahead of Ayeshia Morgan of Hydel (12.25) and Shellece Clark of Edwin Allen (12.30), went on to take the 200 in 25.36 ahead of Excelsior's Jody-Ann Petrie (25.39) and Shanice Brown of Edwin Allen (25.45).

Wolmer's Shawna Helps completed the sprint double, adding the 200 to her Class 3 100m gold in a fight to the finish with teammate Janiele Smith, both registering 24.64 seconds, with Sashalee Forbes of Holmwood third in 24.66.

Vere's Shericka Jackson continued her dominance in the Class Two 200m, sealing victory in 24.06 as Edwin Allen's Claudette Allen was second in 24.25 and Wolmer's Cardine Copeland third in 24.79.

Yanique Ellington of Holmwood posted 24.10 for victory in the Class 1 race, finishing ahead of the Herbert Morrison pair of Remona Burchell, 24.18, and Teveo Jenkins, 24.45.

Holmwood's Lisa Buchanan in the last 10 metres was forced to stave off the challenge of STETH's Chantal Smith to claim the Class 3 800m by the narrowest of margins in 2:12.05 to Smith's 2:12.07, with Aleitha McLaughlin third (2:14.21).

Chris-Ann Gordon was handed a shock by Spaldings' Simoya Campbell in the Class 2 800m. Campbell has had an impressive season and finally came through to win by 10 metres in 2:11.24, while Gordon posted 2:13.01 and Marleena Eubanks of Edwin Allen, 2:14.97

Gordon, however, remained unbeaten over 400, clocking a record and world-leading 51.62 seconds to beat the Vere pair of Olivia James (52.90) and Shericka Jackson (52.94).

In the process, she lowered the seven-year-old record of 52.41 set by Sonita Sutherland in 2004.

Vere's Yanique McNeil, the fastest qualifier entering the final, improved on the silver she won in 2010, taking charge after the first 100m to win the Class 3 400 in 54.29 ahead of St Jago's Genekee Leith, 55.10, and Semoy Hemmings of Hydel, 55.29.