Adrian Frater, News Editor

The winning Manchester High School quartet of Natoya Goule (left), Sharlene Brown (second left), Neisha Morgan (second right) and Kimberly Brown (right) pose after their 4x800m 'Big Race' victory. - Photo by Adrian Frater

WESTERN BUREAU:

MANCHESTER HIGH and the MVP Track Club ran away with the two 'Big Races' - the 800m women's Open and the 800m men's Open - and the $35,000 winning purses at yesterday's 30th Milo Western Relays, which churned out nine records at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay.

The Manchester High girls' team, which features Natoya Goule, Sharlene Brown, Neisha Morgan and Kimberly Brown, clocked an impressive 9:02.78 to relegate Edwin Allen and Holmwood into second and third places. If Manchester were impressive in their 'Big Race' then the MVP men's team of Rayan Lawrence, Ricardo Cunningham, Xavion daCosta and Andrae Drummond were awesome, running a record-breaking 7:39.49 to leave Man-chester High and Kingston College in their wake.

A treat

"There is no question that the fans got a treat here today and for that we are very pleased," said meet director Ray Harvey. "As for the 'Big Races', we were quite impressed and our hope is that come next year we will have enough money for more than just two 'Big Races'," Harvey said.

In addition to MVP's 'Big Race' record, the other records that were smashed were as follows:

Steve Banton, of UTech, the 400m hurdles Open (53:20).

4x100m High School boys won by Holmwood (41:09).

4x400m High School boys won by Kingston College (3:15.13).

4x200m Institution Men won by G.C. Foster (1:25.36).

Women's long jump Open won by Rose-Ann Jones of UTech (5:85m).

Men's long jump Open won by Herbert McGreggor of Pro Launch Track (7:67m).

Men's high jump Open men won by Cornwall College's Jhaun Bryan (1.90m).

Women's high jump Open won by Rochelle Reid of St. Elizabeth Technical High School (1:70m).

Other outstanding performers were Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield High School who scorched the track to win the 3,000m men's Open in a hand-timed 8:33.67; Amoya Bailey of Atletico Union, who took the 1,500m women's Open in 4:58.20 and Central American and Carib-bean 200m champion Xavier Brown, who clocked 10:55 to win the 100m.

At the end of the one-day championship, which is a Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association-sanctioned event, MVP Track Club dethroned Holmwood as the 'Top Female team' while Kingston College did the same in the male section, usurping Herbert Morrison as the 'Top Male team'.

The other awards were as follows: Most Outstanding Female Athlete - Kalesse Spencer (MVP), Most Outstanding Male - Temoy Campbell (Bellefield High School), Most Outstanding Male Team from western Jamaica - Athletico Union; Top Female Team from the west, Herbert Morrison High School.

During the course of the meet, Herbert Morrison's Dexter Lee and Holmwood's Bobby-Gay Wilkins were presented with Gleaner/Youth link Awards for being last year's outstanding junior athletes.