Adrian Frater, News Editor

Athletico Union Track Club's Amoya Bailey (centre) powers her way to victory in the 1,500m women's open. - Photos by Adrian Frater

WESTERN BUREAU:

IT WAS a record-breaking day at last Saturday's 30th Milo Western Relays at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay as the annual one-day championship, which attracted record entries, churned out nine records, much to the delight of the appreciative fans.

While all 41 events generated their fair amount of excitement, it was the Big Races - the 800m women's Open and the 800m men's Open relays - which both carried lucrative $35,000 winners' purses, which generated the most intense competition and the greatest level of excitement.

In the female's Big Race, the red-hot Manchester High School quartet of Natoya Goule, Sharlene Brown, Neisha Morgan and Kimberly Brown ran a brisk 9:02.78 to relegate Edwin Allen and Holmwood, their main rivals, into second and third places, respectively.

The male's Big Race was a record-breaking affair as the MVP Track Club, which featured Rayan Lawrence, Ricardo Cunningham, Xavion daCosta and André Drummond, all but brought the house down with their 7:39.49 as they outclassed the likes of Manchester High and Kingston College to erase the old record of 7:40.75, which was held by GC Foster.

Other record holders

The other records that tumbled were as follows:

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

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

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

The 4x200m Institution men, won by GC Foster ((1:25.36)

The women's long jump Open, won by Rose-Ann Jones of UTech (5:85m)

The men's long jump Open, won by Herbert McGreggor of Pro Launch Track (7:67m)

The men's high jump Open, won by Cornwall College's Jhaun Bryan (1:90m)

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

In addition to the two Big Races and the mammoth cash prizes, the other major awards (and prizes) were as follows:

Most Outstanding Female: Kalesse Spencer (MVP) $10,000

Most Outstanding Male: Kemoy Campbell (Bellefield High School) - $10,000

Most Outstanding Male Team from western Jamaica - Athletico Union - $10,000

Most Outstanding Female Team from western Jamaica - Herbert Morrison High School - $10,000

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

Rose-Ann Jones of Athletico Union soars high as she wins the female long jump.

Meet director Ray Harvey (left) congratulates popular western Jamaica sports personality Sefton Lawrence after presenting him with a special token at the Milo Western Relays. Lawrence was the patron of the meet.

Manchester High's Natoya Goule (left-front) crosses the finish line in the 4x800m - one of the two designated Big Races at the Milo Western Relays in Montego Bay.

Steve Banton (centre) of UTech heads for the finish line as he smashes the 400m men's hurdle record.

Central American and Caribbean Games 200m champion, Xavier Brown (left) of Athletico Union, powers his way towards the finish line in the men's Invitation 100m at the Milo Western Relays. He won in 10:55, beating Jermaine Hamilton and Omar Powell into second and third, respectively.

The winning Manchester High School quartet of (from left) Natoya Goule Sharlene Brown, Neisha Morgan and Kimberley Brown pose after their 4x800m Big Race victory.

Christopher Ricketts (left), the circulation supervisor at The Gleaner's Western Bureau, presents Holmwood's Bobby-Gay Wilkins with her Gleaner/Youthlink trophy for being last year's outstanding female junior athlete at the Milo Western Relays.

This female spectator is a picture of concentration as she watched the action from the enclosed area.