Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield High.
❒ Goule, Campbell shatter distance records

Raymond Graham, Star Writer

FOUR records were broken on yesterday's penultimate day of the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships with Manchester High's Natoya Goule and Bellefield High's Kemoy Campbell leading the way.

However, as far as the race for high school sprinting supremacy goes it is Calabar (106) and Edwin Allen (111) who lead, heading into today's final day.

record books

Both athletes, who have dominated middle-distance running as Jamaica high school athletes over the past five years, wrote their name in the record books for the Class 1 1,500 metres. Despite getting no competition, except from the clock, Goule raced to a new mark of 4:29.81 to erase former Edwin Allen athlete's Kayon Thompson's mark of 4:30.79 done in 2004.

It was a similar affair in the boys' event as Campbell raced to a time of 3:45.38, breaking his own record of 3:48.43 established one year ago.

Also sharing in the record-breaking performances were St Jago High's Kavaughn Rattray and Edwin Allen's Sasha-Gaye Marston. After breaking the Class III boys' 200-metre record in the semi-final round on Thursday, Rattray returned to grab his second record of the meet as he clocked 10.90 seconds to win in impressive style. The old mark was set in 2008 by Munro College's Adam Cummings

Not to be outdone, Marston broke the fourth throwing record of the meet, as she threw the class II discus at 45.42 metres for victory. The throw destroyed the 14-year-old record of former Manchester High thrower, Tanya Thomas.

Wolmer's Boys were dominant in the finals of the 100 metres events as they captured gold in Classes I and II. Odeen Skeen won the Class II event in 10.46 seconds to defeat the Munro pair of Delano Williams (10.60) and Adam Cummings (10.66).

minor upset

In Class I, Julian Forte created a minor upset as he won in 10.49 seconds to turn back Old Harbor High's Kemar Bailey-Cole who had to settle for second in 10.43 with Camperdown's Jeffrey Josephs taking bronze in 10.44 seconds.

Herbert Morrison's Antonique Campbell also created an upset in the Class I finals, clocking 11.73 seconds with Queens High's Diandra Gilbert taking the silver in 11.78. Holmwood Technical's Ornella Livingstone took the bronze in a time of 11.82. The pre-race favourite, LeslieAnn Mitchell, suffered her first defeat of the season as she could only manage to place fifth in 11.89 seconds.

Quuens High's Danielle Williams took the Class II event in 11.61, while Holmwood's Diana Johnson won Class III in 11.76. In Class IV, Wolmer's Girls' Shauna Helps made up for last year's disappointment by winning the gold in 12.04 seconds.

The meet will comes to a climax today with some 44 finals down to take place.