Foga Road’s Wallace pleased with upgrades, performances at track meet

MEET Director and Principal of Foga Road High School, Orette Wallace, was extremely pleased following the third staging of the Audrey E/Kevon Robinson Invitational over distance development track meet at the Clarendon school on Saturday.

The meet, which saw the likes of Calabar High, Titchfield High and Edwin Allen High in attendance, saw some outstanding performances on the day as teams used the opportunity for some serious competition ahead of the Christmas break.

"This year's staging was bigger and better as we have seen some 15 schools in attendance, an increase from the five we had in initial years," said Wallace.

"For the first time we had electronic timing, using the gun to start which synchronised with the electronic system," he shared.

"This time around we had teams as far as from Portland, in Titchfield High and Calabar boys from Kingston and also there were Edwin Allen's girls who have been with us since we started this meet. Edwin Allen's athletes ran in track shoes today and some of the schools were not happy that they did so and dominated, which shows that they are in good form going into next year's Championships."

Wallace was also pleased with the performance of his athletes.

"Our athletes did very well, especially Shameika McLean on the female side and Paul Henry on the male side, who both won their 300 metres and recorded the fastest times on the day in the event. I am hoping that their performances will help to inspire the other members of the team and going into the Championships next year we will have a more rounded team," said Wallace.

McLean, competing in the Class Two 300 metres, clocked 40. 43 seconds for the fastest time on the day among females.

McLean had won the Class Three 400 metres and was third in the! 200 metres at the ISSA Boys and Girl's Championships last year.

Henry, also a standout at Champs last year, and who like McLean represented Jamaica at the Carifta Games, was quickest over the 300 metres among males. Competing in Class One, he stopped the clock at 35.34 seconds. He also ran a brilliant third leg in the Championships 4x300m relays to give Foga Road the win over Denbigh High and Clarendon College, respectively. Foga Road pocketed $ 50,000 for placing first.

Edwin Allen had three double winners on the day on the female side, while Titchfield High had the lone double winner on the male side.

Edwin Allen's double winners came in Class Four through Monique Bogle, who captured the 150m in 19.77 and the 300m in 42.26; Danelia Clarke, who took the Class Three 150m in 19.37 and 300m in 42.74; and Horecia Love, who won the Class One 600m in 1:48.75 and 1000m in 3:25.52.

Anthony Rochester of Titchfield High took a double in Class Two after wins in 150m in 17.46 and 300m in 37.71.

Denbigh High's Markland Williams and Calabar's Justin Webb also had outstanding individual performances in their respective events. Williams captured Class Two 600m in 1:27.61, and Webb took the Class One 1000m in 2:48.75.