The National Stadium in Kingston witnessed a spectacular display of young athletic prowess on Saturday during the final day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. The spotlight shone brightly on the girls’ sprint events, where new champions emerged across multiple age classes.
Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls’ School secured a highly coveted sprint double in the Class 2 category. Following her earlier success, East dominated the 200m final, clocking a winning time of 23.54 seconds into a headwind of -1.2m/s. This victory positioned her alongside Holland High’s Shanoya Douglas, who achieved an exceptional Class 1 double and shattered the national Under-20 record in the process.
The Class 2 podium was completed by Edwin Allen High’s Sashana Johnson, who captured the silver medal with a time of 23.65 seconds, adding to her silver from the 400m. Priscilla Johnson of The Queens School earned the bronze medal, finishing in 24.18 seconds.
In the Class 3 event, Veneisha Pottinger of Mt Alvernia High showcased remarkable resilience. After a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 100m, the COCAA Western Champs gold medallist bounced back emphatically to claim the 200m title in 24.55 seconds. She finished ahead of Knox College’s Tawaina Marston (24.75 seconds) and Edwin Allen’s multi-talented Tashana Godfrey, the 80m hurdles champion, who took third in 24.89 seconds.
The Class 4 final was conquered by Vere Technical’s Omeikia Shepherd, who posted a swift 22.57 seconds despite facing a strong headwind of -1.9m/s. She secured the gold medal ahead of Hydel High’s Reneka Reid (25.32 seconds) and Niesha Campbell of Edwin Allen, who completed the race in 25.49 seconds.