CHAMPS '09: DA 3-PEAT | RELAY GOLD

Through Adversity and Beyond

MCTF rolled into Champs 2009 having made stops at Poxville, Hamstring Town and Flu City. Murphy's Law was hard at work but the team cleared every hurdle and pushed through to maintain sixth position (85 pts.) with a collective sense of purpose and desire.

Young Kaneil Harrison (below right), who just over a month before took the sprint treble at Western Champs, went one-three in the "one-four" double. He clocked 11.10 (-0.2w) in the 100m final and 51.02 in the 400m final. Kaneil became the third consecutive Munro College athlete to win the Class III 100m title at the National Boys and Girls Championships (Rolando Reid '07 and Adam Cummings '08). We are unclear as to whether any other school has ever achieved such a feat but it certainly has not happened in the last twenty five years. Congratulations of no mean order must be made to Kaneil, a self-professed "balla" that only this year seriously showed up for the sport of Track and Field. This young man puts his talent to the test on a daily basis under the guidance of his coach and father Neil Harrison. The development of the Father, Son and Holy Coach triumvirate has been beautiful to watch, with the younger Harrison being as sport smart as he is book smart and athletically gifted (Top 3 in class with an 86 avg.).

In Class II we had three individual medals, Rolando Reid was 2nd in the 400m (48.65 PB), Delano Willams was 2nd in the 200m (21.74, -0.2w PB) and Patrick Campbell was 3rd in the 110mH final (14.33, -1.1w). All three of these young men also ran on the GOLD MEDAL WINNING Class II 4x100m relay team (pic above L-R: Delano Williams, Rolando Reid, Adam Cummings, Patrick Campbell). They were joined by former Class III 100m Champion and record holder, Adam Cummings. The quartet while boasting three 10.8 or better sprinters failed to enter the finals as favourites. That title went to Calabar and St. Jago. After one false start and a starters discretionary "call-back", Adam Cummings rocketed from the blocks and ran a strong turn to hand of even with favourites St. Jago and Calabar. Rolando "Midnight" Reid took the baton and ran what can only be described as a Monsta-Back-Strecth eliminating two athletes staggered ahead and leaving all those staggered behind. Hurdler, Patrick Campbell took the baton in first place and handed over in first place after a Monster run of his own where he displaced many flat event sprinters. At this point it was all over as there was no one on the track that was ever going to catch Delano Williams, who tore up the turf to take the team home in a time of 41.54. No Munro team of any age group has run better in the last five years. This team has gone through a great deal of adversity this season with both Reid and Cummings being out at different times due to injury and that is why we have to give a special "big-up" to the 5th man Gavin-Raye Clarke. Gavin has stepped in all season and was pivotal to getting the team to the final this week. Nuff Respect Gavin!!! See relay video below.
CLASS II 4x100m Final

We also had many finalists that gave us points. In the Class III 800m, Levar Dunchie placed fifth with a personal best of 2:06:19. Dunchie won all three middle distance events in record time at this year's Western Champs. In the Class II 100m, first years Delano Williams and Adam Cummings were 4th and 5th respectively in 10.78 and 10.88 (0.0w). Super Soprano Desric Beckford, after yet another year of singing in the school choir and only showing up the day before Champs to pick up a pair of spikes, placed 8th in the Class II Long Jump with a PB of 6.19m. Desric has made the Long Jump final each of the three years that he has come to Champs. First Year II Jevaughn Shaw placed fourth with 43.54m in the discus ahead of team mate Emmanuel Oniya who was 8th with 40.72m. In the Class I throws Team Captain Omar Bryan was sixth in the Discus with 46.49m and 5th in the Shot with 15.60m. In the open Triple Jump Mikhail "Drama" Johns was seventh with 14.25m and Jodi-Rae Blackwood was fourth in the 400mH in a time of 52.65.
Pic Above: Class II 4x100m - Patrick Campbell to Delano Williams

Jodi-Rae Blackwood was also integral in the season's best performance for the Open 4x400m relay team. The team of Dexter McKenzie (46.9), Jodi-Rae Blackwood (), Shawnterry Manboard (), and Rolando Reid () clocked 3:15:91 for sixth place.

It was a fulfilling Championship Meet with the school achieving its goal of maintaining sixth position before a move up through to 3rd or 4th. I would like to thank the entire team of athletes, the coaches and medical practitioners Gwyn Jones, Paul Auden and Karey Lewis. Hurdles Coach Steve Cole has worked hard to bring us the first medal in the sprint hurdles in many years. Congrats! Dr. Jones has worked tirelessly as field events coach and medical consultant and has produced results that have been the backbone of the team since the late '80s. Physio-therapist Karey Lewis, nursed many a worn muscle and limb back from the grave this season. We welcome her and look forward to a long relationship. Special thanks must also go out to Guidance Counselor and Cheer Leader #1, Paula Miller-Foster, Coach and Housemaster Joseph Powell and Chef Bill Dennis.

A very special big-up and congrats to returning Head Coach Neil Harrison who brought a great deal of experience and expertise to bear to produce this result through a tumultuous season. Nuff Respect Coach Harrison and welcome back!

On now to the 115th running of the Penn Relays, The Jamaica Invitational and Youth and Junior Trials. If you haven't already made your contribution to get the team to the Penn Relays please call at the number below to find out how best to do so.

Regards,
B. Hayden
Team Manager
876-869-7153

Class III 100m Final


Top Ten Finishers

1) KINGSTON COLLEGE 223.50     2) CALABAR  222
3) JAMAICA COLLEGE  154        4) WOLMERS  144
5) ST. JAGO  122.50     6) MUNRO  85
7) ST. GEORGE'S  84        8) HOLMWOOD  50
9) BRIDGEPORT HIGH  43       10) STETHS  38