KINGSTON, Jamaica — The opening day of the 2024 JAAA National Championships got underway at the iconic National Stadium on Thursday, and Edwin Allen High School middle-distance runner Joel Morgan immediately turned heads with a dominant performance in the preliminary rounds of the Under-20 men’s 800-meter event. Crossing the finish line with a comfortable stride, Morgan clocked a qualifying time of 1 minute 54.25 seconds, securing the top seed heading into the upcoming finals. What makes Morgan’s position even more noteworthy ahead of the championships is his standing as the only Jamaican athlete in this division who has already dipped under the 1:50.00 qualifying threshold set for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships. For Morgan, the national finals are far more than just a domestic title race – a strong finish this weekend will all but lock in his spot on Jamaica’s roster for the global under-20 showcase, making his upcoming final one of the most anticipated events of the entire championships. Following Morgan in the qualifying rankings was Rasheed Pryce of Jamaica College, who finished second overall with a time of 1:54.91. Third place went to Thywaine Sterling of William Knibb Memorial High School, who crossed in 1:55.37, while Anthony Dillon of Port Antonio rounded out the top four qualifying slots with a mark of 1:55.63. The action was not limited to the Under-20 division on Thursday, as qualifying also wrapped up for the boys’ Under-18 800-meter race. Ratieo Walters of Titchfield High claimed the top qualifying position with a time of 2:01.41, outpacing the rest of the young field. Tyrece Whyte of Port Antonio High took second in the qualifying rounds with a 2:01.83 clocking, followed by Phillip Palmer of St Jago High at 2:01.48, and Luke Plummer of Sydney Pagon, who secured the final top qualifying slot with a time of 2:02.20. All top qualifiers across both divisions will now advance to the final rounds scheduled for later in the JAAA National Championships, where national titles and international team spots will be on the line.