High school, seniors set for epic clashes at Gibson McCook Relays

TRACK and field fans are in for a treat tomorrow as the 49th staging of the Gibson McCook Relays unfolds at the National Stadium, starting at 4 p.m., with the 4x100m relay for Prep School Under-10 boys set to get action under way.

One of the most popular relay meets in the world, this year's staging will see a truncated programme, as all events will be straight finals -- only for the second time in its history, with the 2022 staging being the first due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this time spectators will be able to attend.

Ryan Peralto, a member of the organising committee, told THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday that all is in place for a successful staging.

SYSTEMS IN PLACE

"All systems are in place for the event, where we will see the best from high schools and seniors who are preparing for next month's World Indoor Championships competing," said Peralto.

"Ticket sales have been going well and we have curtailed the online sales due to some hitches. Physical ticket sales will begin today.

"This year's format will be used as a test and we will make an assessment after the meet to see what happens going forward," he highlighted.

Following the conclusion of the various high school regional meets, fans are in store for special performances among both males and females, as top teams seek psychological advantages ahead of the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships. These relays have usually given a strong indication of the outcome of those Championships.

Among the girls, Edwin Allen High, Hydel High, Vere Technical, Holmwood Technical, St Jago High and Immaculate Conception are the top contenders.

Edwin Allen are set to ignite the crowd in the first high school final of the day at 4:30 p.m., the Under-19 4x100m Championships event, after clocking an impressive 44.73 seconds two days ago at Central Athletics Championships.

GIGANTIC CLASHES

On the boys' side, Kingston College, Calabar High, Excelsior High, Jamaica College and Wolmer's Boys' look set for gigantic clashes across all classes. However, the Class One and Two 4x100m and the 4x400m Open should take centre stage following epic battles at Corporate Area Championships.

There should also be fireworks in the senior men's Championships 4x100m relay, which will feature SprinTec, Racers, Swept, MVP, Speed and G.C. Foster College in a titanic clash.

Some of the country's leading senior athletes will continue their preparations for the World Indoor Championships in the individual events, with the men's and women's 60 metres set to steal the spotlight.

Ackeem Blake of Dynamic Speed, Kishane Thompson of MVP, Kadrian Goldson of SprinTec and Bryan Levell of Uptimum will lead the way among the males.

The Clayton twins, Tia and Tina, Jonielle Smith and Natasha Morrison of MVP, along with Jodean Williams of SprinTec, Lavanya Williams of Dynamic Speed and Ackera Nugent of Racers will contest the women's 60 metres, which is set to get under way at 6:10 p.m., 10 minutes before the men's event.

Outstanding schoolgirl sprinter Shanoya Douglas of Holland High, coming off a recent national junior indoor 300m record of 36.98 seconds in New York last month and a personal best 52.60 seconds in the 400m at the Camperdown Classics, will take on intermediate hurdles specialists Rushell Clayton and Andrenette Knight of Elite Performance Track Club in the women's one-lap event.

Other individual events include the men's 400m, while in the field there will be the women's long jump, along with the men's pole vault and high jump.