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Mount Alvernia on a high - St James’ all-girls institution wins historic first Western Champs title
February 24, 2026
Mount Alvernia High School (MAHS) etched their name in history after capturing the 2026 County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA) Western Championships' Girls title on Saturday, securing their first-ever championship and becoming the first all-girls school from St James to achieve the feat.
Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) retained the boys' title, with 435 points. William Knibb were second with 322 points, followed by Munro College (320), Herbert Morrison Technical High School (149), and Cornwall College (147).
The meet, traditionally held in western Jamaica for two days, took place only one day this year. It was relocated to GC Foster College in St Catherine following widespread damage caused by the Hurricane Melissa in October and also the lack of facilities in the region.
In a season shaped by adversity, the triumph carried even greater meaning for the Montego Bay-based institution and its resilient supporters, according to Andrew Henry, coach of MAHS.
"The girls from MAHS turned up. They did extremely well. Words can't express how proud I am," said Henry.
Despite challenges faced coming into the season, Henry said the team reconstructed its programme and improved significantly.
"Coming into the season, we faced a number of challenges, one being Hurricane Melissa, which we had to actually deplete a number of programmes within the western part of the island. Secondly, we faced a constant sewage issue on our training field. We looked at strategies and made a lot of changes to the programme to facilitate the student athletes in a beneficial way," Henry said, noting that the championships became a testament to perseverance and unity across the region.
"Last year, we scored 258 points, but this year, we increased ... making our first championship at 327 points. We only had four girls coming into the championship for Class One, and these girls made up the relay team and spread across different areas," added Henry.
Last year champions STETHS placed second with 272 points, followed by William Knibb Memorial High at 156.
For 16-year coach Andrew Henry, the victory was about far more than points on a scoreboard.
"It is a well-deserved championship. It was like war. The girls prepared for war. At one point, we would have recognised that we were behind St Elizabeth Technical High by a point. I went to the girls and told them, 'We have our hands on the trophy, so we have to go out like we're going to war and fight to the end'," said Henry.
MAHS had some top performances at the event, with all the sprinters showcasing strength and depth.
"We had some excellent performances. All of our sprinters would have actually run a personal best," said Henry.
Giana Murray of MAHS, who competed in the 100m, 200m, and 400x100m in Class Two, said it was a good experience being part of the winning team.
"I won first place in the both 100 and 200 metres with a personal best time of 11.66 seconds for the 100m and 24.41 seconds 200m," said Murray.
"It was a good feeling knowing that we were able to not only just go and participate but to come back to St James with the trophy. It's a good feeling," added Murray.
Still riding the momentum of their centenary celebrations last year, MAHS' athletes now shift focus to Saturday's Gibson McCook Relays at the National Stadium, Carifta Trials, and the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships in March. They are eager to prove that their Western Champs breakthrough is only the beginning.
