KINGSTON, Jamaica — The opening day of the prestigious ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at the National Stadium witnessed a stunning display of youthful sprinting talent, with Lacovia High School athletes seizing the spotlight. Nicholas Jones and Darren Francis emerged as the standout performers in their respective divisions, setting the stage for an intensely competitive week of track and field.
Nicholas Jones blazed through the Class 2 400m qualifying round with a commanding time of 48.83 seconds, establishing himself as the athlete to beat in Wednesday’s semi-finals. He outpaced a formidable field that included Calabar High’s Rajeve Allison (49.21 seconds) and Diwayne Sharpe (49.49 seconds). Additional qualifiers advancing to the next round included Rusea’s High’s Tiene Barrett (49.56 seconds), Excelsior High’s Jaeden Campbell (49.66 seconds), and Kingston College duo Jason Pitter (49.86 seconds) and Rishane Howard (49.99 seconds).
In the Class 3 category, Darren Francis demonstrated exceptional poise and speed, clocking 51.12 seconds to lead all qualifiers. He will be joined in subsequent rounds by Kingston College’s Taariq Gordon (51.34 seconds) and Jamaica College’s Tariq Creary (51.81 seconds). The qualifying group expanded to include Titchfield High’s Rhomarni Bennett (52.41 seconds), Tarrant High’s Janhard Taylor (52.42 seconds), and STETHS’s Olando Headley (52.57 seconds).
The Class 1 boys event promises to deliver spectacular drama as Titchfield High’s Nishawn Walker posted a personal best to lead qualifying. Jamaica College’s Makaelan Woods followed with 47.60 seconds, while William Knibb Memorial’s Jabari Matheson—who infamously missed last year’s final despite leading the semi-finals—recorded 47.68 seconds. Event favorite Junior Gallimore advanced comfortably with 47.77 seconds, alongside Kingston College’s Jabulani McLeod and Jordan Rehedul, plus last year’s finalist Paul Henry of Foga Road, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the week’s premier sprint event.