By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Left: Yohan Blake competes in the 200m heat during yesterday's first day at the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium. Right:Tariq Batchelor of Kingston College wins the boys' Class One long jump on the first day of the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium. - Ian Allen

Former champions Vere Technical and Kingston College (KC) are the early leaders after yesterday's first day at the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.

After three girls' final, Vere, on 25 points, lead Holmwood by a point. St Hugh's, St Andrew High and St Jago shared third spot with 11 points each while Immaculate are next with eight points.

Holmwood's team captain, Salcia Slack, said they have accomplished their aim after day one.

"In the 200m, all the classes made it to the semi-finals, and also the relays, so that was our aim to get everyone in the semi-finals and take it from there .... and bring it (title) home," she said.

On the other side, KC are out front with 13 points. Wolmer's with 11 points, Morant Bay (seven), Jamaica College (three), St Jago (two) and Manning's (one) are the other teams with points.

In the first final to be contested, Slack, as expected, led Holmwood off to an impressive start by capturing the girls' open triple jump. Slack leapt 13.23 metres to beat St Andrew High's Todea-Kay Willis (12.61m) and Immaculate High's Jhanelle McLeod (12.10m).

Class One discus

However, the 18-year-old Slack was hotter in the girls' Class One discus, taking the title in a record 45.13 metres throw, which erased the 10-year-old mark of 44.40m, set by Tanya Thomas of Manchester High.

Vere Technical responded to Holmwood, who picked up 10 points in the triple jump, with a one-two in the girls' Class Three event. Marsielle McBean won with a throw of 32.55m ahead of Tamika Frater (31.67) for 16 points. St Jago's Kellion Knibb (31.15m) was third.

St Jago's boys Class One 4x100m team was also in record-breaking form yesterday, with a splendid 39.78 seconds run in their heat to eclipse their own mark of 39.80 set last year. The team consists of Yohan Blake, Nickel Ashmeade, Riker Hylton and Andre Walsh.

In the lone boys' final, KC's Tarik Batchelor leapt to an easy win. His winning distance was 7.60 metres, which was superior to Morant Bay's Dean Swimmer (7.27m) and Wolmer's Akeem Elliott (7.10m).

Meanwhile, a battle royal is expected in the boys' Class One 200m final, the race track and field observers pick as the most competitive at this year's championships. All the 'top guns' - Calabar's Ramone McKenzie, St Jago's pair of Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmeade, Herbert Morrison's Dexter Lee and Mannings' Darion Bent qualified for Saturday morning's final.

However, it was Jamaica College's (JC) Winston Barnes who ran the fastest time, 21.53 seconds, after the first round followed in order by Lee (21.61), McKenzie (21.74), Oshane Bailey of Calabar (21.81), Ashmeade (21.82), Herbert Morrison's Keniel Lee, brother of Dexter, (22.06) Bent (22.07) and Blake (22.53).

World Youth silver medallist Meisha-Gaye Dacosta qualified for the final of the girls' Class Two high jump.

In the girls' 400m hurdles open, Edwin Allen's Nikita Tracey ran a personal best 58.75, beating her previous best of 58.97, to lead defending champion and favourite Shana-Gaye Tracey of Manchester High, who won heat one in 60.56.

Holmwood's Andrea Reid, who was second to Nikita Tracey in 59.26 seconds, also made it through to tomorrow afternoon's final.

In the boys' event, Nicholas Maitland of St. Elizabeth Technical with 53.79 seconds leads Riker Hylton of St. Jago (53.89), KC's pair of Andre Peart (53.84) and Kerion Stewart (55.50) and Hansle Parchment of Morant Bay (55.61).

Herbert Morrison's Keneil Lee (right) wins his heat in the boys' Class One 200m (22.06) in action on the opening day of the GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium yesterday. At centre is Cawayne Jervis of Kingston College who was third in 22.45 seconds, while Manchester High's Bruce McLean (left) was fourth in 22.77. Sheldon Williams of Holmwood (not pictured) was second in 22.20. - Ian Allen