Ja's best juniors hunt Champs glory

The country's top high school athletes will be in action over the next five days starting today as the 2016 ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championships begin at 1 p.m with the preliminary round of the boys' Class One long jump.

When the curtain comes down on Saturday night at 8:50 p.m., with the final of the 4x400 metre open for boys, defending girls' champion Edwin Allen High and defending boys' champion Calabar High should be celebrating again.

Last year, Edwin Allen were runaway winners by 100 points, while Calabar had a 15.5 points win over Kingston College.

Based on competition so far this season, Edwin Allen look set for another big victory as they have been dominant at all the development meets leading up to theChampionships, and were the top female high school team at the McCook Gibson Relays.

"The vibes in the camp are great and we are ready to go,", head coach Dyke told STAR Sports yesterday.

"We are not afraid of any team as we have done all that is necessary to win, but there is great respect for Holmwood Technical as all season they have shown tremendous improvement and have looked like the team of former years but they will have to wait," said Dyke.

Calabar's Michael Clarke was cautious as usual.

"We are in a state of readiness and despite a few adjustments due to injury, we are confident of another victory," said Clarke.

Several top athletes will be in action today on the track in preliminary-round action of the 400 metres.

MAIN RIVALS

On the female side, St Elizabeth Technical's Junelle Bromfield will be in the first heat of the Class One 400m at 6:30 p.m and she will run out of lane four. The following heat will see her main rival, Ashley Williams of Holmwood Technical, running out of lane four. Both athletes have gone sub 53 seconds this season.

World Youth 400m champion, Christopher Taylor of Calabar, the fastest schoolboy so far this season following his 45.87 seconds clocking at the Digicel Grand Prix final, will be in the first heat of the Class Two 400m at 5:55 p.m, while Kingston College's Akeem Bloomfield, the Class One record holder, will compete in the first heat of his event at 6:45 p.m.