JC ready to pounce if KC slip

Although Jamaica College (JC) are only in year two of the three-year cycle Neil Harrison implemented to bring the Dark Blues back to the top of high school athletics, the coaching staff at the Old Hope Road-based school believes that its team is positioned to pounce if favourites Kingston College slip.

“KC have a very strong team and they are the favourites. They are the defending champions but we certainly do have a strong team too and if they make some mistakes we have a chance,” assistant coach Dwayne Johnson told STAR Sports. “We don’t show up every year just to come third. We are in the second year of the three-year plan and things have been going better than we expected and if the cards play right we are ready to take the title.”

JC has been firmly holding down the number three spot in the boys section of high school athletics since 2013.

They last won the Mortimer Geddes trophy in 2011 when they upset favourites at the time Calabar High School.

“This year, we are looking to have an overall improvement in all areas. For the past three year, it was the distance and jump groups that do more of the scoring, but last year we improved in the sprints with the injection of Coach Harrison. This year we are looking to continue the improvements because we have more talents now,” he said.

Johnson also believes the installation of the synthetic track at the Ashenhiem Stadium on the school’s grounds has contributed significantly to the upward movement of JC’s athletics programme as he has noticed that the athletes are sustaining fewer injuries.

“The track has helped us significantly because we do not have as many surface type injuries as before and it also help us to prepare for competition too,” he said.

JC tallied 232.50 points last year, some 160 points behind ‘The Purples’, who claimed their 33rd title.