A YOUNG LATE bloomer, Geneva Greaves was the toast of Manchester High on yesterday's opening day of the 2004 VMBS Boys and Girls Championships.

Greaves, a 14-year-old past student of Mandeville Primary and Junior High, picked up the discus for the first time in 'late January' and yesterday on her first visit to the National Stadium won a gold medal and nine points for her school.

"It really feels great to come here and win this event," she said.

Her victory warmed the heart of principal Brandford Gayle who said he was "very proud of her".

The confident Greaves waited for the big day to perform. She was fifth at the STETHS Invitational in January, third at the JAAA's Kirkvine Development meet and a disappointing fifth at Central Championships. Despite all those below par performances Greaves said she arrived at the National Stadium very confident.

"I just knew I was going to win," she said after her throw of 34.13 metres beat Kimberley Williams of Vere Technical (31.76m) and pre-meet favourite Mannings High's Venese Simms (31.48m).

She took up the event by chance.

"My friends saw that I had the ability and they encouraged me to take up the event," she said.

Record holder

Greaves joins a long line of recent discus winners from Manchester High at Girls Championships. Nadine Clarke (Class 1 discus and javelin open champion in 1997), Shawnalee Jenkins and her coach Tanya Thomas come to mind.

Thomas is still the Class 1 discus record holder. She set the mark, 44.40m, in 1998.

Now that her only event is over Greaves intends to cheer on her friends at the meet. She will have a lot of cheering to do as the meet has three days to go and her school is doing quite well on the track in the two lowest classes. Dimunitive Class 3 athlete Teneisha Morgan brought the house down with a torrid anchor leg in the third heat of the 4x100m relay.