(From left) Muschett High's Johan-Ramaldo Smythe, Jamaica College's Dontae Watson and St Jago High's Malachi Needham compete in the Class One Boys' 100m heat during the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Tuesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
PAUL A REID Observer writer [email protected]June 27, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The next generation of Jamaican sprinting could be on show on Friday’s second day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior Championships at the National Stadium.
If Thursday’s first round of the Under 20 boys’ 100m is anything to go by, fast times and good competition will be served up in the semi-final and finals after three sub-10.60-second times were run.
Antonio Powell led the way with 10.52 seconds (-0.5m/s) to win his heat, edging Zachary Wallace and Johan-Ramaldo Smythe, both running 10.58 seconds.
Deiner Cordoba ran 10.68 seconds (-2.8m/s) while Ainsley McGregor— 10.69 seconds, Tavaine Stewart— 10.78 seconds and Riquelme Reid— 10.82 seconds, all advanced.
Holmwood Technical’s Jaydon Collins led the Under 18 boys’ 100m after he ran a personal best 10.46 seconds (0.9m/s) to win his first round and was followed by Excelsior High’s Malike Nugent— 10.61 seconds (-1.6m/s) and Nyrone Wade of Kingston College— 10.77 seconds (-2.0m/s).
Deequan Maragh of Camperdown High is also through to the semi-finals on Friday with 10.83 seconds (-2.0m/s) along with Kyle Bodden of Kingston College— 10.65 seconds (-1.65m/s) and Herbert Morrison’s Koby Watson— 10.80 seconds (-2.0m/s).
Meanwhile, Abigail Bennett of Merl Grove High threw a personal best 47.57m to win the Under 18 girls’ discus throw, beating her previous best of 46.99m set at the Penn Relays, upsetting Jamelia Young of Clarendon College— 44.48m with Immaculate Conception’s Jamie-Lee Tulloch third with 37.17m.
Vere Technical’s Martina Moxam won the girls’ Under 17 triple jump title with 11.22m (-0.3m/s), beating Titchfield High’s Amanda Codrington— 11.14m (2.0m/s).