Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

Final-leg runner Anastasia Le-Roy of G.C. Foster College (left) powers her team to victory in the Pepsi-sponsored 4x100m for women at Saturday's 32nd running of the Gibson Relays at the National Stadium. G.C. Foster College won in 44.03 seconds, with University of Technology second in 44.33. Royal Track Club were third in 45.91. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

St Jago High School's boys ended the 32nd running of the Gibson Relays on a high note at the National Stadium last Saturday night.

The Spanish Town-based school, led by the outstanding Yohan Blake, smashed the one-year-old 4x400m Open record, clocking 3:08.32 to go under the 3:09.22 set by Kingston College last year. St Jago led all the way to finish several metres ahead of Calabar, 3:15.27 and Camperdown who were third in 3:16.17.

The 4x400m record was one of two which was set at the meet. The sprinters had a difficult time as a strong headwind blew up the 100m straight for the entire day.

Tanice Barnett of the University of the West Indies broke the women's mile record, clocking 5:04.20 and beating the old mark, 5:05.48, set by Janice Barrett last year.

Challenges

Holmwood Technical shrugged off strong challenges from Man-chester High and Vere Technical to take the girls' 4x400m Open. It was close until the final leg when Bobby-Gaye Wilkins took charge to take her school to victory in 3:36.50. Vere mined silver in 3:37.98, while Manchester were third in 3:38.77.

The High Performance Centre with national representatives Usain Bolt and Jermaine Gonzales in their quartet, won the 4x400m for men's institutions in 3:06.97.

There was huge disappointment for Jamaica College in the 4x800m Open. The Old Hope Road-based school appeared to be cruising to victory in the championship event when their anchor leg athlete fell 350m from the finish after he collided with a runner who was more than 400 metres behind the rest of the field.

Calabar, who were 10 metres behind the leader, seized the opportunity to run out easy winners in 7:47.35. They were followed by Holmwood, 7:48.27 and Vere Technical, 7:50.08. Jamaica College faded into eighth in 8:08.70.

The Jerry Holness-coached Manchester High girls, with leading distance runner Natoya Goule on the anchor leg, maintained their 2008 dominance in the 4x800m as they won in a very good 8:51.34 ahead of Holmwood 8:54.65 and Edwin Allen High, 9:06.80.

Kingston College were the dominant boys school in the 4x200m. They won Class Three in 1:32.49 and Class Four in 1:38.56, while placing third in Class Two. Wolmer's Boys captured Class Two in 1:29.22, while Class One went to Holmwood in 1:27.03.

The high school girls 4x200m Open was an exciting affair with Holmwood prevailing in the end in 1:38.07 ahead of Edwin Allen (1:39.06) and Vere (1:39.54).