The first track and field meet of the calen-dar year - the Wata/Powerade/Jamaica College (JC) Development Meet - is on today at the school's Old Hope Road ground, starting at 8:30 a.m.

One of the qualifying meets for the Grace/ISSA Boys' & Girls Athletics Championships, athletes from several of the island's top schools will be on show.

Top schools

On the girls' side, Holmwood, St Jago, Manchester, Vere, Immaculate, St Andrew, The Queens School, St Elizabeth Technical, Alpha and Wolmer's are down to take part.

Calabar, JC, Kingston College, Manchester High, Ardenne, Bridgeport, Camperdown, St George's College, Cornwall College, Edwin Allen, Glengoffe, Holmwood, Morant Bay, Oberlin, St Jago, Wolmer's are the top boys schools.

MVP/UTech, It Dat and The University of West Indies head the clubs/institution teams.

The organising committee, headed by Ian Forbes, said in a release: "We are anxious to maintain its established image of being a well-organised and well-run meet. We are depending on all participants to assist us to this end."

The meet is open to athletic teams and individuals from all schools, clubs and institutions in one of the two-team categories or as an unattached competitor.

The first category will be for schools of all types with participation in classes One to Four for boys and girls.

A second category will comprise a mix of clubs and institutions with males and females in separate competition.

Events down to be contested are the 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m (female) and 5000m (male), along with the sprint hurdles, long jump, discus, high jump, shot put and pole vault.

A maximum of four competitors per class, per team, per event, will be allowed.

All teams are requested to wear their regular competition colours and awards will be presented to athletes selected by the judges as most outstanding performers in each class and category.

Honouree

Meanwhile, Pascal Rolling, international running sports marketing manager for Puma, will be this year's honouree.

According to the organisers, in his role at Puma, Rolling "has done and continues to do for the country, not only support the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association and its umbrella body - inclusive of all Olympic sports, the Jamaica Olympic Association - but has given prominence and recognition to high-school athletics, grassroots track and field and firmly placed Jamaica on the world's stage through his vision and good marketing acumen".

- Anthony Foster