Edwin Allen’s Stewart striving for success

Edwin Allen High's head girl, Monique Stewart, their track and field co-captain, relishes her multiple roles at the institution, while excelling academically.

The former sprinter-turn-middle-distance athlete, who is also the president of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship, has eight Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, which are English language, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, Spanish, geography and information technology.

"I love the sciences, especially biology, as I am fascinated about the subject as it helps me to learn about the different systems in the body," she said.

Stewart is focused on attaining goals for herself, including getting the best out of those she encounters, while sharing the track and field captaincy duties with Class One quarter-miler Tonyan Beckford.

"I am a team leader and like to help guide students around me. Yes, it is demanding and hard, but it is all about time management.

"I have a good team of prefects and teachers around me who help to make my work easier, so it does not affect my performance on the track, where I also get good support from my co-captain Beckford," Stewart said.

JOURNEY STARTS

Now in lower-sixth form, Stewart's track and field journey started at New Works Primary in Westmoreland and continued at Rusea's High in Hanover, before she joined the Frankfield-based Edwin Allen.

Stewart represented Rusea's High at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs) in 2019. She reached the finals of the 100 and 200 metres, before being switched by her coach to the 800 and 1500 metres at the start of the next academic year.

According to Stewart, 2020 was a breakout year for her in the middle distance.

"I did very well at the Carifta Trials, especially in the 800 metres, clocking 2:09. At the Gibson/McCook Relays, I anchored Rusea's to a narrow victory in the sprint medley relay.

"Edwin Allen was my dream school, as I always wanted to be around champions, and that run at the Gibson/McCook Relays helped their coaching staff to recruit me, and I was happy for the move," said Stewart.

The transfer rules prevented her from competing at Champs the following year. Two years ago, she finished eighth in the Class Two girls' 800 metres after suffering shin injuries during the season, which also affected her last year, when she had her best Champs results, winning gold medals in the Class Two girls' 800 and 1500 metres.

MOTIVATING

According to Stewart, training with a quality middle-distance group, including Class One partner Rickeisha Simms, has been motivating.

"Training with Rickeisha has been great and has helped to lift my standard, and we are hoping to give the team quality points in Class One," said Stewart.

She threw down the gauntlet at the recent Carifta Trials in the 800 metres with a season-leading 2:08.86 minutes in the under-20 event to edge St Catherine Hgh's Kitania Headley, who clocked 2:08.99.

Stewart is confident that on Saturday, March 23, Edwin Allen will regain the Champs title and make it win No. 10 after being defeated by Hydel last year.

"I took the loss very hard last year, as I cried. We made a few mistakes. It cost us. This year, we have a better all-around team, and the girls are highly motivated.

"We are Edwin Allen, team of champions, and we are not getting ahead of ourselves. The march back to the top has started, as we regained our Central Athletics Championships title recently. Our coach has told us that the team that normally wins this title usually win the big one, and we are heading in the right direction," she said.