St Catherine look set for top-five finish

St Catherine High girls have made huge strides since 2019 when they garnered 44 points for their first top-10 finish at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs), and it should be a celebration on St John's Road this year, as they look certain for a top five position.

St Catherine finished sixth in 2021 with 75 points, and last year, they improved their tally to 83 points, ending joint sixth with Wolmer's Girls' School.

They have been under the radar since, and at the Gibson/McCook Relays, they showed credentials by creating an upset to capture the Open sprint medley relay.

This big win must have motivated all, as leading up to the March 28 to April 1 Champs, they look set for something special after good performances at the various development meets.

Leading the charge for their first top-five finish as they celebrate their 75th anniversary will be Class III, led by sprint hurdlers Akeelah Ellis and Michaelann Lindo. Both are joint first going into the 80 metres hurdles with a season and personal best of 11.32 seconds, after being inseparable at the Central Athletics Championships and look set to fight out the finish and get quality points.

St Catherine will be well represented on the field in the class as Rihana Chambers, with a season best 5.53 metres, is ranked No. 3 in the long jump, while teammate Briahana McCalla should shore up some points in the high jump with her season best 1.60 metres. Their Class III girls' 4x100 metres relay should be among the finalists.

In Class IV, the No. 1 ranked Tshani Armstrong, with a best of 5.06 metres in the long jump, will be hoping to remain unbeaten in the event, while Gabrilla Treasure, with a season best 1.50 metres and fourth ranked in the high jump could go all the way.

The Class II charge will be led by fifth-ranked Kacian Johnson in the 100 metres, with a best of 11.91 seconds. Fourth-ranked Jerese Allwood in the 100 metres hurdles with 13.51 seconds, No. 2 Rohanna Sudlow in the long jump with 5.94 metres and the talented No. 2 Kitania Headley in the 800 metres with 2:12.44 minutes and sixth in the 400 metres with 55.46 seconds, should add to their points tally significantly.

In Class I, Asharia Ulet, the third seed in the 100 metres hurdles with 13 66 seconds and Jamaria Patterson, who is No. 4 in the 400 metres with a best of 54.18 seconds, should do well in both events. Both are expected to play huge roles in the 4x100 metres, where their season best of 46.29 seconds has them fourth going into the Champs.

While Excelsior and Wolmer's are also gunning for a top-five spot, they should not trouble the fast-rising St John's Road-based St Catherine, as they are favoured to go over the 100 mark in their points tally and comfortably notch their first top-five finish at these Championships.