Vaz Top Prep Schools Development Meet

Anthony Minott, Gleaner Writer

Vaz Preparatory's coach, Marlon Tucker, is of the view that the last warm-up meet before this week's Jamaica Independent Schools Association Prep Champs was good preparation for his team as they try to defeat multiple champions Hydel.

"I thought this prep-school meet was timely, as it gives us good preparation for Prep Champs. We used a number of our 'B' athletes, as three of our key Class One boys were out due to injuries. We lost by three points to Hydel last year, and injury problems might prevent us from defeating them this year. However, we are going to give it our best shot," he said.

Vaz won the second staging of the Delight-Ovaltine Finals, the last development meet for prep schools at the National Stadium last Saturday.

TOP TEN

Vaz tabulated 172.5 points to turn back the challenges of Mona (123), and Quest (122.5). The top three were followed by Portmore Missionary (114), Ardenne (113.5), Wolmer's (110.5), Emmanuel Christian Academy (65), Rose Gordon (31.5), The Queen's Prep (21), and top rural school, Mount Alvernia (18.5), round off the top 10.

Tucker added: "They (Anthrick Sports Management) have come up with a meet that is necessary for prep schools. They gave Vaz and other schools an opportunity to see where they are are in terms of the relays, as we seek to get the combinations and the baton passes right. I gave this meet a 100 per cent rating."

Vaz won the inaugural meet last year.

The meet was dubbed 'Carnival of Relays' because there were mainly relay events.

There were two flat events: the 100m Class One and Two boys and girls, and the 80m Class Three boys and girls. Those events were time finals. There were also long and high jump events for Class One and Two boys and girls, respectively. Vaz Prep won three relay events, including the Class One boys 4x100m in 51.5 seconds. Quest, however, were the most dominant in the relays as they chalked up four victories. Ardenne and Emmanuel won two relays each.

The 100m sprints were quite competitive and Ardenne's Class One girl, Chole Campbell (13.6), and Emmanuel Christian Academy's Class Two sprinter, Timothy Lee (13.7), were two of the standouts. Also winning their events were Vaz's Tasheed Lewis (12.9), 100m Class One, and Wolmer's Jamila Reid (14.4), 100m girls Class Two.

Chief executive officer of Anthrick Sports Management, Anthony Cooke, was pleased with the turnout, considering that the meet was pushed back a week. He expects the meet to be bigger and better next year.