Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
St Jago's Class One 4x100m quartet (from left) of Yohan Blake, Nickel Ashmeade, Rykert Hylton and Andre Walsh are expected to scorch the track at the Gibson Relays. - file
THE GIBSON Relays, one of the most prestigious meets on the local track and field calendar, takes the spotlight today at the National Stadium.
On show will be the best of Jamaica's track-and-field talent from prep and primary schools to high schools and men's and women's clubs and institutions. The Masters are also in the mix. The action, set to start at 9:45 a.m., is expected to be hot from the very first event, the 4x400m Open heats.
SCHOOLS TO WATCH
As usual, most attention will be on the high schools which are in the final stages of preparation for the March 12-15 GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys and Girls Championships. Beyond that, the junior athletes also have their sights set on the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, April 24-26, and the World Junior Championships in Poland, July 8-13.
Holmwood Technical, the most outstanding girls team for the past seven years, continue to develop some exceptional talent and are again expected to dominate the leading relays. In fact, some experts are predicting that Holmwood, barring mishap will win a whopping five of the seven high school girls' relays. They can expect tough competition from Edwin Allen High, Vere Technical High, St Andrew High, Wolmer's Girls and St Jago High.
It should be very competitive among the boys. A great deal of attention will be focused on St Jago's Class One sprint relay where Yohan Blake, the man on the anchor leg, is expected to blow away his rivals. Blake will have with him the three runners who helped St Jago to a record 39.80 seconds at Boys' Championships last year - Nickel Ashmeade, Rykert Hylton and Andre Walsh.
The girls' and boys' 4x800m Open will also be hot. Upstarts Manchester High have been dominating both sexes this season. They will, however, have to show greater improvement on today's big stage to deny Kingston College, Calabar and Jamaica College on the boys' side.
On the girls' side, the Mandeville-based school will be challenged strongly by defending champions Holmwood, Edwin Allen and Vere Technical.
Among the men's clubs and institutions, all eyes will be on the High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) where Usain Bolt and Jermaine Gonzales, two of the island's brightest young track stars, are based.
Bolt led HPTC to an unchallenged victory in the sprint relay last year after the Asafa Powell-led MVP track club failed to complete one of their exchanges. With Powell and the best of MVP in Australia for pre-season training, the way is clear for HPTC to romp to victory again ahead of main rivals GC Foster College and University of Technology.
The winning Manchester High School quartet (from left) of Natoya Goule, Sharlene Brown, Neisha Morgan and Kimberley Brown pose after their 4x800m 'Big Race' victory at the recent Milo Western Relays. - File
FINALS
4:00 p.m. 4x100 Shuttle Hurdles Women
4:10 p.m. 110m Hurdles Open Men
4:15 p.m. Lucozade Sports One Mile Men Open
4:23 p.m. Lucozade Sports One Mile Women Open
4:31 p.m. 4x60 Prep School Boys Under 10
4:40 p.m. 4x60 Primary School Boys Under 10
4:45 p.m. 4x100 Primary School Boys Under 12
4:51 p.m. 4x100 Prep School Boys Under 12
4:59 p.m. 4x100 Prep School Girls Under 12
5:03 p.m. 4x100 Primary School Girls Under 12
5:09 p.m. 4x100 High School Boys Class One Champ
5:15 p.m. 4x100 High School Boys Class Two
5:21 p.m. 4x100 High School Boys Class Three
5:27 p.m. 4x100 High School Boys Class Four
5:33 p.m. 4x100 Institution Men Championship
5:39 p.m. 4x100 Institution Women
5:45 p.m. 4x100 High School Girls Under 19 Champ
5:51 p.m. 4x100 High School Girls Under 17
5:57 p.m. 4x100 High School Girls Under 15
6:03 p.m. 4x100 High School Girls Under 13
6:09 p.m. 4x100 All-Age & Junior High Boys
6:15 p.m. 4x100 All-Age & Junior High Girls
6:21 p.m. 4x100 Independent High School Boys
6:25 p.m. 4x100 Masters Male
6:31 p.m. 4x100 Special Olympics Men
6:36 p.m. 4x100 Olympic Qualifier Women
6:41 p.m. 4x100 Olympic Qualifier Men
6:47 p.m. 4x800 High School Boys Open - Champ
6:59 p.m. 4x800 High School Girls Open - Champ
7:10 p.m. 100m Women
7:15 p.m. 100m Men A & B
7:25 p.m. 400m Women
7:30 p.m. 400m Men
7:36 p.m. 4x200 High School Girls Open
7:42 p.m. 4x200 High School Boys Class One
7:48 p.m. 4x200 High School Boys Class Two
7:54 p.m. 4x200 High School Boys Class Three
8:00 p.m. 4x200 High School Boys Class Four
8:06 p.m. 4x200 All-Age & Junior High Boys
8:12 p.m. 4x200 All-Age & Junior High Girls
8:18 p.m. 4x400 Institution Women
8:26 p.m. 4x400 Olympic Qualifier Men
8:34 p.m. 4x400 Institution Men Championship
8:44 p.m. 4x400 High School Girls Open - Champ
8:55 p.m. 4x400 High School Boys Open - Champ
Usain Bolt (left) eases down at the finish line to win the men's 400m in 46.94, ahead of Annsert Whyte (47.29) out of picture, with world 100m record holder Asafa Powell (right) third in 48.76 at the recent Queen's/Grace Jackson Track Meet at the Stadium East field. Bolt will be in action today in the 4x100m relay for clubs and institutions. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
