By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Opal James of St. Elizabeth Technical competes in the girls' Class Four long jump in the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls'y Athletic Championships. James won the event with a jump of 5.52m which was also a record. - Ian Allen

ON A day when Opal James and Nicara Vassell re-wrote the record books, last year's girls' winner, Holmwood, and boys' champion, Calabar, surged ahead in their respective sections after day two at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

After seven girls' finals, Holmwood, who trailed Vere by a point entering yesterday's second day, moved ahead with 48 points. They are 19 points ahead of arch-rival Vere, who only picked up four points yesterday for a total of 29, followed by St. Hugh's and Wolmer's (27 each), Edwin Allen (25) and St. Andrew High (22).

In the boys' section, Calabar with 39 points after five finals lead Jamaica College (35), Kingston College (34), Wolmer's (30) and Morant Bay (15).

Long jump record

Opal James of St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) leapt 5.52m to break the girls' Class Four long jump record of 5.46m, which was established by Kadian Samuels of St. Jago in 2003. Jones' record leap, in a negative wind, beat Holmwood Technical's Shanice McPherson (5.40m) and Edwin Allen's Trisharna Smith (5.22m).

The day's other record came in the girls' shot put Open when Nicara Vassell hurdled the shot 12.80m metres to break the old mark of 12.57m, which Deborah Rose threw for Holmwood last year.

Vassell's teammate, Candice Bernard, also bettered the previous mark with her throw of 12.70m. Kerone Walker of Wolmer's threw 11.11m for third.

The girls' Class Two long jump title went to Ann-Marie Duffus with a leap of 5.72m. She beat Wolmer's Jhenelle Facey (5.63m) and St. Andrew High's Kathie-Lee Laidley (5.56m).

In the girls' Class Three high jump, the first final of the day which gave Holmwood the lead over Vere by a point, Wolmer's Shanice Hall and Peta-Gaye Reid of STETHS, both cleared 1.74m to equal Shelly-Ann Gallimore's 11-year-old mark. Hall was declared the winner on count backs.

Holmwood's Janeive Russell and Edwin Allen's Kimberly Williamson both leapt 1.70m, but the former was credited with third place.

Pole vault open champion Chad Scott of Jamaica College focuses on his final jump yesterday at the National Stadium during the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletic Championships. Scott cleared 4.20m to win the title. - Ian Allen

19 points

In the boys' pole vault open, Jamaica College (JC) finished one-two courtesy of Chad Scott (4.20m) and K'Don Samuels (4.10m), which took them to 19 points after two finals, and ahead of day one leaders KC (13). Calabar's Devon Dobson took third with a clearance of 4.00 metres.

JC's Shane Dodd captured the boys' Class One discus with a throw of 48.95 metres, beating KC's Keiton Wilson (47.75m) and Calabar's Noel Facey (47.25m).

Clive Pullen of KC won the boys' Class Three high jump by clearing 1.85m to beat Calabar's Demar Robinson (1.80m) and Wolmer's Jason Lewis (1.75m).

In the Heptathlon open, Calabar's Andrew Riley scored 5,064 points to beat Kamal Fuller (4,686) and Dean Swimmer of Morant Bay (4,302).

Running in heavy rain for almost an hour, all the top athletes, St. Jago's pair of Yohan Blake (10.6) and Nickel Ashmeade (10.5), leader Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison (10.4) and Winston Barnes of JC (10.6) made headway in the Class One 100m event.

Also, in the Class Two event, Calabar's pair of Earl Lee and Travis Drummond, who took heat two and five in 10.77 and 10.97 respectively, also secured their spots in this afternoon's semi-final.

In the boys' 400m preliminary round, Manning's High's Darrion Bent leads the qualifiers with 47.62 going into this afternoon's semi-finals, set to start at 1:30. St. Jago's Riker Hylton (48.47) , KC's pair of Andre Peart (48.71) and Rolando Berch (49.15) and Calabar's Ramone McKenzie (49.88) will also be in action.

Seaforth High's Jevere Bell (49.12), KC's Andre Pickersgill (49.46) and May Day's Nolan Williams (49.46) lead the qualifiers in the Class Two boys' 400m, while in the girls' Class Three, Manchester High's Sandrae Farguharson (56.05) leads Vere's Shericka Jackson (56.13).

Bell returned later to run 1:54.6 in the boys' 800m and leads Kevin White of Holmwood (1:57.5), Pickersgill (1:59.4) and JC's Waquar DaCosta (1:56.7) going into tomorrow's final.

A starter signals the start of a race in the boys' Class One 100m heat yesterday during day two of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletic Championships at the National Stadium. - Ian Allen