After eight finals on Wednesday’s second day of the 2026 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships inside Kingston’s National Stadium, early title contenders have begun to assert themselves.
In the girls’ competition, Edwin Allen High hold a firm grip atop the standings with 61 points, well clear of Holmwood Technical on 29, with Clarendon College third on 21 points. Defending champions Hydel High find themselves in an unfamiliar position, sitting eighth with 15 points.
On the boys’ side, Jamaica College surged into pole position with 54 points, opening daylight over St Jago High (38) and Calabar High (36). Defending champions Kingston College are fourth on 31, with Wolmer’s Boys’ rounding out the top five on 25 points.
Sprint royalty: Douglas breaks barrier, Reid confirms class
The championship’s marquee 100-meter finals delivered the kind of electricity expected under the Champs spotlight.
Shanoya Douglas of Holland High produced a defining performance in the girls’ Class One final, storming to a lifetime best 10.98 seconds, her first dip below the coveted 11-second barrier. In doing so, she not only secured gold but etched her name among the fastest Jamaican junior sprinters in history.
Behind her, Edwin Allen’s Trinidad and Tobago native Alexxe Henry (11.21) and Reneica Edwards (11.45) ensured valuable points for their team’s growing lead.
In the boys’ Class One final, Riquelme Reid of Excelsior High stamped his authority with a composed and powerful 10.12-second victory, holding off St George’s College’s Tyreece Foreman (10.21) and Edwin Allen’s Omar Finnegan (10.22).
The sprint depth extended across classes. Jamaica College’s Kai Kelly lit up Class Two with an impressive 10.28 seconds, while Wolmer’s Boys’ celebrated a dominant one-two finish in Class Three through Ajani Lumley (10.71) and Joshua McWilliams (10.81).
On the girls’ side, Wolmer’s Natrece East continued her remarkable progression, capturing the Class Two crown in 11.21 seconds to add to previous class titles. Edwin Allen’s Daniela Clarke (11.66) secured Class Three gold, while Excelsior’s Briana Gray claimed Class Four in 12.01 seconds after a dramatic rerun of the final.
Distance drama: Itubo smashes record, St Jago shows strength
If the sprints brought speed, the 1500 metres delivered authority and endurance, none more emphatic than Kingston College’s Julius Itubo.
The defending champion produced one of the standout performances of the championships, obliterating his own record with a commanding 4:00.76 minutes in the boys’ Class Two final. Leading from gun to tape, Itubo left the field strung out behind him, with Jamaica College’s Ricardo Lee (4:18.42) and Ajovi Williams (4:25.11) completing the podium.
St Jago High flexed its middle-distance muscle across the remaining boys’ events. Phillip Palmer captured the Class Two title in 4:09.91 minutes, while Ryan Achua delivered a clinical defense of his Class One crown, cruising to victory in 3:50.71 minutes, one of the fastest times seen at Champs in recent years.
Kingston College’s Nahashon Ruto (3:55.91) and Edwin Allen’s Joel Morgan (3:58.30) chased hard but were left in Achua’s wake.
Girls’ 1500m: Triumph, tribute, and upsets
The girls’ 1500 metres offered a blend of emotional triumph and competitive surprises.
Holmwood Technical’s Jovi Rose captured the Class One title in 4:45.15 minutes, edging a fierce challenge from Sydney Pagon’s Annataseca Blackwood (4:45.43), with Hydel’s Rhianna Morgan third.
In Class Two, Edwin Allen’s Kevongaye Fowler rose from last year’s disappointment to claim gold in 4:41.37 minutes.
Defending champion Alikay Reynolds (4:44.39) and Sydney Pagon’s Alexia Palmer (4:45.97) completed the podium.
Clarendon College’s Alex Jordan Hall delivered one of the day’s biggest upsets in Class Three, leading throughout to win in 4:47.33 minutes, holding off Alpha Academy’s Danoya Scott and pre-race favorite Romean Gray of Edwin Allen.
Field events: Early golds set the tone
The field events quietly delivered critical early points and historic firsts.
Kingston College’s Odaine Noble became the championships’ first male gold medallist, soaring 7.18 meters to win the boys’ Class Two long jump. Calabar’s Talshawn Edwards (7.02m) and St Jago’s Winaldo Faulknor (6.79m) followed.
On the girls’ side, Clarendon College’s Jameila Young claimed the first female gold medal with a winning throw of 14.71 meters in the Class Two shot put, ahead of Holmwood’s Shamanda Wilmot (14.39m) and Excelsior’s Alyssa Forrester (14.22m).
400m showdowns loom large
With the 400-meter finals set to headline Thursday evening’s session, anticipation is building around several standout contenders.
Jamaica College’s Makaelan Woods leads the boys’ Class One field with a swift 46.39 seconds, while Calabar’s Diwayne Sharpe (46.90) sets the pace in Class Two.
In the girls’ events, Hydel’s Nastassia Fletcher (52.92) has positioned herself as the Class One favorite, while Foga Road’s Shameika McLean (52.52) tops the Class Two qualifiers.
The championships continue Thursday with a packed schedule featuring 12 finals, evenly split between track and field.
Day Two confirmed what Champs promises every year, emerging stars, historic performances, and the relentless pursuit of school pride.
With records already falling, barriers broken, and team battles tightening, the stage is set for even greater drama as Jamaica’s premier high school athletics spectacle gathers speed.
