In no other country is high school track and field as beloved a
s in Jamaica. Asafa Powell, 10 times record holder in the 100m was welcomed on the track for about 30 seconds but it wasn’t his day. Shelly-Ann Fraser and Aleen Bailey, Olympians and World Champions were in attendance but it wasn’t their day either. The day belonged to the high school athletes. Students from 13 to 19 years old were greeted with all the fanfare reserved for kings and queens.
What a party. The stadium was filled to capacity at 35,000 with screaming fans all wearing the colors of the schools they supported. Whenever an athlete from their respective school was announced at the starting blocks the crowd erupted. And the athlete who won was cheered even more. The DJ knew which songs to get the crowd rocking and played: Movado’s “Starlight;” Ding Dong’s “Holiday” and Steven McGregory’s “Cyaa Friend Again;” among others. Each time they were played the crowd started swaying and dipping to the rhythm of the base.
What a party. The stadium was filled to capacity at 35,000 with screaming fans all wearing the colors of the schools they supported. Whenever an athlete from their respective school was announced at the starting blocks the crowd erupted. And the athlete who won was cheered even more. The DJ knew which songs to get the crowd rocking and played: Movado’s “Starlight;” Ding Dong’s “Holiday” and Steven McGregory’s “Cyaa Friend Again;” among others. Each time they were played the crowd started swaying and dipping to the rhythm of the base.
Calabar High and Kingston College (KC) on the Boys side have each won Champs 21 times and this is Holmwood’s eight consecutive win, so they’re always the favorite. But this year KC’s chances were greatly affected when none of their runners won a race on the final day. The closest were two silver medals and their only win was in boys Class One high jump. Calabar came into the final day with 106 points, KC had 85 points and Wolmers’ 83 points. But Calabar had some unfortunate mistakes, including the favorite in the Class One 110m hurdle, Duece Carter, falling over the sixth hurdle. The school also didn’t win as many races as it need and other schools such as Camperdown, Jamaica College, Titchfield High, Munro College and Vere Technical placed higher in their races to take away some points. Wolmer's stayed strong to the last race, the 4x400, winning with 208.50 points to Calabar’s 201.5 points.
The win by Wolmer's was particular significant because they won the first Champs in 1910. They were most successful in the earlier years when they won 11 times, their last being in 1956. So no one, including some al
umni expected them to win.
“If I had a thesaurus and an Oxford dictionary, I still couldn’t find enough words to express it, [winning Champs]” says Kurt Boothe a former Wolmerian. “I’ve been coming to Champs since 1985 and it’s the first I ever felt this confident. I’ve been waiting all of my life to see this.”
Booth repeated Wolmer’s motto Age Quod Agis, do what you do well. His friend, Andrew McCarthy also a former Wolmerian who competed at Champs in the 800m, 1500m and 4x400, explained that the school’s logo has an image of the sun rising and said the sun represents the highest point.
When the athletes finished their victory lap, floating their school flags for everyone to see, they met on the field to cheer for each other. The Wolmer’s boys chanted “Holmwood, Holmwood” and the Holmwood girls, chanted “Wolmers, Wolmer’s.” They laid on the flags basking in the adulation of the fans. “We wanted this championship really badly,” says Monique Thompson, who competed in the Class One 1500m for Holmwood. “So we worked hard and we became successful because of our hard work.”
“We been training since August and the dream finally came through,” says Karey Kelly of Wolmer’s who ran in the Class Three 100m and 4x100.
Champs is particularly special to Jamaican track and field lovers. It’s one of the main reasons their athletes do so well on the international stage. The students start training and competing several months before the championship. By the time they arrive for the final competition they’ve participated in dozens of small meets and are ready for the excitement and adrenaline they’ll experience competing at the national stadium. So when they represent the country internationally they’re already used to large crowds, screaming fans and how to relax for a race.
But most important for the track and field athlete’s success at home and abroad is the honor and support they receive from Jamaicans. The pace of the country slows down during the four-day meet which is broadcast live. Everyone is concerned with their former school’s performance and watches with the intensity reserved for the rise and fall of the stock market. This kind of support is the reason Jamaica produces such great track and field athletes.
Video is below of Kingston College fans and an athlete dancing.
--Connie Aitcheson
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