WEST CHAMPS 2011 - A FOURPEAT!!!

CONFIDENCE ENTRENCHED

Munro College sternly defended its hold on the COCAA Western Athletics Championships last Saturday. The win made it four Championships in a row after a seven year dearth leading up to the 2006 - 2007 season. We now believe that confidence is firmly entrenched in the culture and fabric of Munro College Track and Field. It took time but there was little if anything this team felt it could not achieve last weekend. The records were abundant and the spirit of victory within the camp was more resolute and apparent than ever before. Case in point, Class One jumper turned sprinter Ifeanyi Otuonye. With Adam Cummings out of the long jump Otuonye, who was not listed for the event, stepped in and stepped up at the last minute to make the final. Instructed to expend little energy between sprint relay obligations he took a single jump to

win the title with 6.98m. Enter young Anthony Bailey, who showed up for the Class II long jump with season and personal bests of nowhere near 6m. On the day, Bailey stepped up and won his first ever title with a leap of 6.48m. Confidence permeated the camp and perhaps its primary catalyst was the double sprint performance of first year one Delano Williams (below right). Two days before during the semis Williams was beaten in the 100 by an ebullient Andrew Fisher of STETHS. Fisher, the defending Champion, put on a show on his home ground with a 10.40 clocking leaving the calculated Williams in second with 10.75. Saturday's final was easily the most anticipated race of the day, not that our team's fortunes hung in the balance but a win here would send the navy and gold flags soaring. The evidence is below. Williams runs out of lane 2.

In the 200m the expectations were less tenuous as Williams entered as the overwhelming favourite. Executing newly Cole-crafted form Williams clocked 20.73 to lay down the fastest electronic time by a schoolboy prior to a National Boys and Girls Championships. Williams, with two more years left in Class I, completed what is arguably the most commanding sprint performance ever at a Western Championship. Class 4 sprinter Rushane Edwards also copped double sprint titles, taking the 100 and 200m in record times of 11.50 and 22.29 respectively. Keno Dunkley took the Class III weight double with record throws of 44.77 and 12.66 in the discus and shot put respectively.

There were many other record breaking and double title

performances at the Championships. The Orin Gordon coached middle and long distance crew, the Tru-Ds, copped all but three middle distance titles. Giovanni Mowatt won the Class one 1500 and Open 500, Giovannie Foote took the Class one 800m while Herbert Thomas swept the Class II 800 and 1500. Rolando Reid established a new mark in the open Javelin of 51.02m, while Javauri Mitchell set a new Class III 200m record in the semis with 22.59 and followed up with the title on the final day. Munro took both Class I throws through Emmanuel Onyia who had a record heave of 51.10m in the discus and 16.37m in the shot. Waynee Hyman took the Class I 400m in a record time of 47.26. The Steve Cole-crafted hurdlers took most of the hurdle titles. Patrick Campbell took the 110mH/400mH double and Duran Crooks and Brandon Drummond took the quinella in the Class III 100mH.

Back in April 2008 we provided a little insight into the growth strategy for MC Track and Field with a piece titled "MCTF - A Graphical Analysis of Champs". There we not only highlighted the team's performance at the 2008 championships but also broke down what it would take to win one. We have been diligently doing this work since April 2006. Sprint events account for 46% of all possible points to be won at any Championship. In 2006 the sprints were not our strength and we set about changing that as there is no chance to win much less dominate a championship without it. Champs 2010 and the 2011 COCAA Western Champs mark key points in our evolution where we can now say that the sprints have unequivocally become our core strength. The foundation for true championship success is in place.

Congratulations to the entire team, Coaches Harrison, Jones, Cole, Gordon and Powell on lifting yet again another COCAA Western Championship. Congratulations and extra special gratitude must go out to the MC Track Moms our team Physio Karey Lewis, nutritionist Deron Swaby and the school's administration. A special respect and gratitude must also go out to new Principal Mr. Albert Corcho who I can certainly say loves his sports but is a greater fan of discipline. Welcome aboard Sir, we intend to win them all as MCTF continues to grow into a phenomenal family.

Best regards,

B. Hayden ('87)

Team Manager

(Pic: Javuri Mitchell and Rojay Ottey; Delano Williams)

All 2011 West Champs videos can be found on our Facebook Video Page.