KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Stadium witnessed exceptional athletic prowess during Thursday’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships as three newly crowned 100m champions launched their campaigns for sprint doubles in the 200m events.
Shanoya Douglas of Holland High, fresh from her spectacular personal best of 10.98 seconds in Wednesday’s Class 1 100m final, demonstrated remarkable recovery to dominate her 200m heat. Clocking 24.21 seconds against a slight headwind (-0.8m/s), Douglas positioned herself as the frontrunner for semi-final qualification.
She was joined by fellow champions Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls (Class 2) and Excelsior High’s Briana Gray (Class 4), who both successfully navigated their opening rounds. East delivered a strong 24.38-second performance with favorable wind assistance (0.7m/s), while Gray secured her Class 4 heat victory in 25.66 seconds despite challenging wind conditions.
The qualification rounds revealed impressive depth across multiple categories. In Class 2, East’s progression came alongside silver medalist Shannia Campbell of St Jago (24.53s) and bronze winner Giana Murray of Mt Alvernia High (24.78s). Class 4 saw Vere Technical’s Omeika Shepherd lead qualifying with 25.30 seconds, followed by Hydel High’s Reneka Reid (25.49s) and Edwin Allen’s Niesha Campbell (25.52s).
Class 3 competition featured notable advances from Ferncourt High’s 100m silver medalist Rihanna Scott (24.87s), Hydel High’s Tyecia McDonald (24.85s), and Knox College’s Tawaina Marston (24.88s), all overcoming varying wind challenges to secure semi-final berths.