Record entries set for JC meet

It should be a sizzling first track and field meet of the new year as the 27th staging of the Purewater/Jamaica College (JC)/R Danny Williams Invitational Development Meet will be held at the Ashenheim Stadium on the grounds of the school on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

The meet, which is also the first on the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) calendar for the year, is a qualifying one for this year's ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. After last year's large turnout, which was then the first staging on the new synthetic track, this year's meet is expected to be bigger. Organizing Committee chairman Ian Forbes is excited.

"Preparations are in high gear for the meet and we have a full slate of events on show," he said. "We have a record of entries which includes over 70 institutions and 2,000 athletes," Forbes, who also expects a large spectator turnout, said.

The Boys Class One 400m hurdles will be the opening event on the track while the high jump in all classes for females, and long jump in all classes for males will be the first field events which will get under way simultaneously at 9 a.m. Like last year, the discus and shot put events will be held at the University of West Indies campus. Other track events on the day will be the 3000m Open for girls, 5000m Open for boys, 800m and 1500m in all classes for boys and girls, all sprint hurdles in the different classes, and also the 100m and 400m sprints in all classes.

Top girls high school teams Edwin Allen High School, Hydel High School, Holmwood Technical, and St Jago High School will be on show while on the male side, Kingston College will lead the pack here with hosts JC and former national champions Calabar also down to compete.