分类： sports

The Jamaica Football Championships resume this weekend with a compelling slate of return-round fixtures, highlighted by two intense parish derbies that promise to deliver thrilling football action across the island.

In Zone A, league leaders Sakka Club BrownsTown (19 points from 8 matches) face a critical test against third-place Lime Hall Academy (14 points with a game in hand) at Drax Hall. The matchup carries added significance as BrownsTown seeks redemption for their opening-day defeat against their local rivals.

Meanwhile, the Westmoreland derby at Llandilo Sports Complex features Roaring River and Reno FC separated by just one point in the standings. Following their 1-1 draw in the first round, Reno FC (16 points) and Roaring River (15 points, both from 8 games) will battle for crucial points in the tightly contested zone.

Zone B leaders Humble Lion host Duncans United at Effortville, looking to improve upon their previous 1-1 stalemate. Simultaneously, a resurgent Falmouth United travels to face STETHS Elite FA, recalling their explosive 2-2 first-round encounter in Trelawny.

The weekend schedule includes seven matches across various venues:

Saturday Fixtures:
– Tru-Juice vs Jamaica Defence Force at Dinthill
– Sakka Club BrownsTown vs Lime Hall Academy at Drax Hall
– Meadforest FC vs WiFi United at Bell Chung Oval
– Grays Inn SC vs Baptist Alliance at Grays Inn
– STETHS Elite FA vs Falmouth United at STETHS
– Humble Lion FC vs Duncans United at Effortville
– Petersfield FC vs St Bess United at Petersfield
– Roaring River FC vs Reno FC at Llandilo

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Demonstrating remarkable consistency amid change, Santino Distin secured his second consecutive Class 1 high jump title at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. The event concluded Saturday at the National Stadium with Distin matching his previous year’s winning height of 2.05 meters.

The defending champion’s victory carried added significance as he transitioned between academic institutions. Having previously competed for Herbert Morrison Technical, Distin now represents St. Elizabeth Technical High School this season. This change in affiliation did nothing to diminish his competitive edge, as the reigning 2025 national junior champion maintained his dominance in the event.

Distin’s path to victory encountered a minor challenge at 1.95 meters, where he recorded one failure. However, the athlete demonstrated composure by successfully clearing both 2.00 meters and his winning height of 2.05 meters on initial attempts. His final effort to conquer 2.08 meters proved unsuccessful but did not affect the final outcome.

The competition saw Kingston College athletes claiming the remaining podium positions. Tejahni Haynes captured the silver medal while Michael Neil secured bronze, both athletes matching the champion’s height of 2.05 meters but finishing behind Distin based on countback rules governing previous attempts.

In a stunning display of athletic prowess, Jamaica College’s Nasir D’Aguilar delivered a championship performance that defied expectations at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships in Kingston. The young athlete secured the gold medal in the boys Class 2 discus event with a remarkable personal best throw of 54.18 meters, marking a significant upset in the competition held at the National Stadium.

D’Aguilar’s path to victory unfolded through a series of progressively impressive throws. After placing fourth in the shot put final earlier, he demonstrated exceptional composure in the discus competition. The athlete seized the lead in the third round with a throw of 50.79 meters, then consistently improved his performance with a 53.86-meter effort in the fourth round before achieving his winning mark of 54.18 meters in the fifth and decisive round.

The competition saw Munro College’s Brandon Lawrence claim the silver medal with a best mark of 50.47 meters, replicating his second-place finish from the previous year’s championships. Lawrence was joined on the podium by teammate Ashan Haffenden, who captured the bronze medal with a throw of 46.80 meters, giving Munro College two athletes in the top three positions despite D’Aguilar’s championship-winning performance.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Edwin Allen High School’s athletic prodigy Akaylea Brown cemented her exceptional performance at the prestigious ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships by capturing her third medal this Saturday. Demonstrating remarkable versatility, Brown triumphed in the Class 1 girls long jump event with a winning leap of 5.73 meters, achieved with no wind assistance (0.0m/s).

This victory represents Brown’s second gold medal addition to her championship collection, having previously dominated the Class 1 high jump competition. Her impressive medal tally was further enhanced by a bronze medal performance in the highly competitive triple jump Open event, showcasing her extraordinary range across multiple disciplines.

The competition witnessed strong challenges from Hydel High School’s athletes, particularly Sabrina Atkinson who initially led during the first round of Saturday’s finals. Atkinson ultimately secured the silver medal with a jump of 5.59 meters recorded with a slight headwind (-0.8m/s). Completing Hydel’s strong showing, teammate Jenice Dunkley claimed the bronze medal position with a measured effort of 5.53 meters against more challenging wind conditions (-1.2m/s).

The annual championships, organized by the Inter-Secondary Schools Association (ISSA) and title-sponsored by GraceKennedy Limited, represent Jamaica’s premier platform for emerging track and field talent, often serving as a proving ground for future international competitors.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships concluded with spectacular hurdles performances at the National Stadium, highlighted by Wolmer’s Girls’ standout Tiana Marshall claiming gold in the Class 1 girls 100m hurdles. Marshall clocked 13.33 seconds against a -2.0m/s headwind, demonstrating exceptional athleticism just hours after shattering the meet record with an extraordinary 12.98-second semifinal performance on Friday.

The silver medal in Class 1 went to St Jago High’s Bryana Davidson (14.06 seconds), while Excelsior High’s Amoi Kentish secured bronze with 14.10 seconds.

Wolmer’s High celebrated another victory as Akeelah Bell dominated the Class 2 100m hurdles final in 13.32 seconds (-1.8m/s), outperforming Hydel High’s Annieka Carnegie (13.43 seconds) and St Jago’s Martina Parkes (13.64 seconds), replicating their semifinal rankings.

Edwin Allen High’s Tashana Godfrey delivered a stunning performance in the Class 3 80m hurdles, matching the meet record of 10.80 seconds (-3.4m/s) previously set by Alpha Academy’s Azaria Harris. Godfrey successfully defended her title after a wind-assisted 10.75-second semifinal run, with Harris taking silver (10.96 seconds) and teammate Danelia Clarke earning bronze (11.14 seconds).

The day’s opening victory came from Hydel High’s Keneisha Robinson, who captured the girls Class 4 70m hurdles title in 10.68 seconds (-0.6m/s). Vere Technical’s Jahmara Osbourne followed closely with 10.70 seconds for silver, while Convent of Mercy Alpha Academy’s Aleisha McDonald took bronze in 10.78 seconds.

The penultimate day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships has set the stage for a dramatic conclusion, with two powerhouse teams establishing seemingly insurmountable leads. Inside Kingston’s National Stadium, Edwin Allen High and Jamaica College have positioned themselves to reclaim and retain their respective titles, leaving their rivals with a monumental challenge on the final day.

On the girls’ side, Edwin Allen has mounted a formidable campaign to recapture the throne they lost to Hydel in 2025. Demonstrating exceptional team depth and performance across multiple events, they have amassed a commanding total of 151.5 points after 23 of the 46 scheduled finals. This places them a staggering 35.5 points ahead of the defending champions, Hydel, making an 11th overall title a near certainty barring any unforeseen circumstances in Saturday’s finale.

The narrative is equally compelling in the boys’ championship, where Jamaica College (JC) has delivered a masterclass in track and field dominance. Their athletes have performed at peak levels, accumulating a massive 189 points with just half of the finals completed (21 of 42). This has created a cavernous 67-point deficit for their historic rivals, Kingston College (KC). The gap is so significant that it would require an unprecedented reversal of fortune for KC to challenge for the title, signaling that JC’s charge toward glory is all but assured.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Severe weather conditions forced an abrupt suspension of the culminating events at the prestigious ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships on Saturday. Event organizers made the critical announcement at approximately 3:30 PM local time, implementing an immediate competition pause for a minimum of thirty minutes. The decision came as a necessary safety response to increasingly dangerous atmospheric conditions, with officials specifically noting the concerning frequency of lightning strikes detected in the immediate vicinity of the National Stadium. Meteorological observations confirmed the development of dense, dark cloud formations overhead accompanied by a steadily intensifying drizzle that showed no signs of abating. The annual championship, widely regarded as Jamaica’s most significant interscholastic sporting event, attracts the nation’s top emerging track and field talents who compete for national glory and the opportunity to showcase their athletic prowess on an international stage.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships witnessed an extraordinary display of athletic prowess on Saturday as Edwin Allen High’s Addison James redefined javelin throwing excellence. The young athlete delivered a monumental performance, achieving a record-shattering throw of 70.30 meters that now stands as the seventh-best distance globally in the Under-20 boys category.

James, who simultaneously extended his Dominican Under-20 national record, demonstrated remarkable consistency by breaking the championship meet record not once, but twice during the competition. His initial attempt of 69.59 meters in the first round already surpassed previous benchmarks, but it was his second-round throw that made history—the first-ever 70.00-meter-plus throw by a Jamaican schoolboy.

The silver medalist, who finished behind Calabar’s Tarique Daley (last year’s champion with 65.11m), further cemented his dominance with another impressive throw of 66.79 meters in the fourth round that would have also broken the previous record. Daley’s participation ended abruptly after a single throw of 41.81 meters before retiring from the final.

Kingston College’s Kimari Smith secured second position with a throw of 54.25 meters, while Jamaica College’s Camron Williams claimed third with a 50.66-meter effort. James’ historic performance not only rewrote the record books but also signaled the emergence of a world-class talent in track and field athletics.

A compelling narrative of familial inspiration and athletic rivalry is set to unfold at the National Stadium as 16-year-old Devaune Freemantle of Vere Technical prepares for the boys’ javelin open final at the prestigious ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. The young athlete draws immediate motivation from his sister, Ramona Freemantle, who secured a silver medal in the girls’ javelin event just yesterday.

The sibling athletes from Ocho Rios, St. Ann, maintain a healthy competitive dynamic while consistently supporting each other’s athletic endeavors. Devaune openly acknowledges following his sister’s path into track and field, recently achieving a personal breakthrough by surpassing the 40-meter mark. His aspiration to medal in today’s competition mirrors his sister’s accomplishment.

Ramona’s journey to javelin success demonstrates remarkable adaptability. Initially pursuing sprinting where she demonstrated considerable speed, she transitioned to throwing events following an injury setback upon recommendation from a former coach at Vere Technical. This strategic shift has yielded significant results—besides her javelin silver medal, she placed fourth in the Class 1 girls’ discus throw with a distance of 45.79 meters.

Thursday’s javelin final presented a dramatic contest where Ramona led for extended periods before being narrowly defeated by Immaculate Conception’s Zoelle Jamel on countback after both athletes recorded identical throws of 45.09 meters. This silver medal represents Ramona’s second Champs podium appearance, improving upon her bronze medal performance from the previous year.

As the athletic spotlight turns to her younger brother, Ramona will be among the spectators, wearing her newly won silver medal and cheering for Devaune to achieve podium success while contributing valuable points to Vere Technical’s overall championship tally.

In a breathtaking display of athletic prowess, Jamaican junior sprinter Shanoya Douglas has cemented her legacy in track and field history. Competing at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships in Kingston, the Holland High student delivered a monumental performance in the Class 1 200m final, clocking an astonishing 22.36 seconds against a -1.6m/s headwind.

The electrifying race witnessed Douglas demolish both the national Under-20 record and the championship meet record before a capacity crowd at the National Stadium. Her remarkable achievement surpassed the previous national benchmark of 22.50 seconds established by Briana Williams during the 2018 World Under-20 Championships in Finland, and bettered the meet record of 22.53 seconds set by Brianna Lyston in 2022.

This record-shattering performance represents Douglas’s second personal best improvement within a fortnight, having previously clocked 22.58 seconds at the Carifta Trials held at the same venue. The newly minted record also maintains her position as the world’s leading Under-20 sprinter this season.

Douglas’s championship campaign showcased her exceptional versatility, having previously secured the 100m title on Wednesday with a personal best of 10.98 seconds—ranking her tenth on Jamaica’s all-time junior list. Her historic 200m time now shares the tenth position on the same prestigious ranking.

The race outcome demonstrated Douglas’s overwhelming dominance as she left competitors trailing significantly. Edwin Allen High School’s Alexxe Henry captured silver with 23.63 seconds, while teammate Shanique Cassanova claimed bronze in 24.17 seconds.

Douglas, who earned bronze in the 200m at the 2024 World Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, continues to emerge as Jamaica’s newest sprint sensation, generating tremendous excitement for her future in international athletics.