In a spectacular conclusion to a weather-disrupted five-day event, Jamaica College (JC) and Edwin Allen High School emerged victorious at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, dethroning the reigning champions at Kingston’s National Stadium.
Edwin Allen’s female athletes delivered a commanding performance, amassing 338.5 points to secure their eleventh title since their inaugural win in 2012. This triumph further solidifies coach Michael Dyke’s legacy as one of the championships’ most accomplished mentors. Despite a final victory in the 4x400m relay by Hydel High (3:33.72), who finished ahead of Edwin Allen (3:35.30) and Holmwood Technical (3:39.61), the overall title had already been decisively claimed.
On the boys’ side, Jamaica College ended Kingston College’s four-year dominance with a stylish victory in the Boys’ 4x400m relay, clocking 3:08.18. KC pushed relentlessly throughout the championships but settled for second in 3:08.68, competing without key athlete Jason Pitter. William Knibb secured third place (3:09.23), while Calabar faced disqualification due to a false start. This victory marks JC’s 23rd hold on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy and their first championship title since 2021, though KC remains the historically most successful institution with 36 titles.
The competition faced significant weather challenges when lightning forced a nearly two-hour suspension at 3:35 pm. Despite the interruption, neither JC nor Edwin Allen lost their competitive momentum in the final sessions.
Notable individual achievements included Ryan Achau of Kenya and St Jago High, who claimed his second gold medal with a spectacular 5,000m victory in 14:42.32—the second-fastest time in championship history. Addison James of Edwin Allen shattered the Boys’ javelin record with an impressive 70.30m throw, surpassing the previous mark of 65.11m set by Tarique Daley in 2025.
Hydel High mounted a formidable challenge throughout the competition, gradually reducing Edwin Allen’s lead from 35.5 to 20 points after 28 of 46 finals. Zavien Bernard led their charge with victory in the Class Two high jump (1.76m), while Keneisha Robinson added gold in the Class Four 70m hurdles (10.68).
Edwin Allen responded through Tiana Godfrey, who set a new record in the Class Three 80m hurdles with 10.80, breaking Camoy Binger’s 2022 mark. The competition intensified as KC similarly pressed JC, narrowing the deficit to 47 points before weather intervened.
Post-event celebrations featured gospel artist Jermaine Edwards performing ‘Beautiful Day’ amidst fireworks, creating a festive atmosphere for the victorious schools. The championships demonstrated exceptional athletic prowess despite challenging conditions, highlighting Jamaica’s continued excellence in track and field development.