Sports Commentary… JAMAICA OLYMPIC GAMES TRACK AND FIELD FINALISTS; 1948 – 2016, REVIEW: HIGH SCHOOL AFFILIATION

By Dale Brown

NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, August 11, 2020 --The early history of a high school ‘Girls’ Championships in Jamaica has not been recorded as accurately as “Boys Champs” where there were several attempts to stage a High School championship for girls. After these unsuccessful attempts, the first official Girls Championship was finally staged in 1957. However, unresolved problems still existed because no Championships were held for the following three years. 

Since the restart in 1961, Girls Championship is now a staple on the Jamaican Track and Field calendar and continue to enjoy phenomenal success after the merger with ‘Boys’ Champs in 1999.                                                 

This article will identify the High Schools which have nurtured the athletes who developed into champions and were finalists in their individual events at the Olympic Games. Field event finalists will be restricted to the top 8 competitors.

100m

(Wolmer’s)– Shelly Ann Fraser- Pryce – Gold medals in 2008 and 2012; Bronze 2016.

(Manchester) – Elaine Thompson – Herah – Gold in 2016.                                          

Sherone Simpson – Silver in 2008; 6^th in 2004.

(Morant Bay) – Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn – Silver in 1992; 7^th in 1988.                                                    

Note: Cuthbert-Flynn completed her High School studies at Olney HS, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

(Vere Technical) – Merlene Ottey – Silver in 1996; Bronze medals in 1984                      and 2000; and 5^th in 1992.                                                                                               

Note: Ottey also attended Ruseas High School.                                                                                                                          

Veronica Campbell – Brown – Bronze medals in 2004 and 2012.                            

Aleen Bailey –5^th in 2004.

(Jonathan Grant)– Tanya Lawrence – Silver in 2000.

(St. Jago)– Kerron Stewart – Silver in 2008.

(The Queen’s School)– Grace Jackson placed 4^th in 1988 and placed 5^th in 1984.

(St Hugh’s) – Cynthia Thompson – placed 6^th in 1948.

                      

200m

(Vere Technical) – Veronica Campbell -Brown – Gold medals in 2004 and 2008; and placed 4^th in 2012.                                                                                              

Merlene Ottey -Silver in 1996; Bronze medals in 1980, 1984 and 1992; and 4^th in 1988.                                                                                                                                   

Beverly McDonald – Bronze in 2000.                                                                                  Aleen Bailey -  placed 4^th in 2004.

(Manchester) – Elaine Thompson -Herah – Gold in 2016.                                                  Sherone Simpson – placed 6^th in 2008.

(The Queen’s School) – Grace Jackson – Silver in 1988; placed 5^th in 1984 and 6^th in 1992.

(Wolmer’s) – Shelly Ann Fraser- Pryce – Silver in 2012.

(Morant Bay) Juliet Cuthbert – Silver in 1992; placed 7^th in 1996.

(St. Jago) – Kerron Stewart – Bronze in 2008.

(Kingston Technical) Una Morris – placed 4^th in 1964.

(Titchfield)- Rosie Allwood – 7^th in 1972.

400m

(Manchester) – Lorraine Graham – Silver in 2000.

(St Elizabeth Technical)- Shericka Williams – Silver in 2008.

(Vere Technical)- Shericka Jackson – Bronze in 2016.

(Holmwood) – Rosemarie Whyte- 5^th in 2008; 7^th in 2012.

(Ferncourt) – Novlene Williams-Mills – 5^th in 2012.

(Manning’s)- Stephenie – Ann McPherson – 6^th in 2016.

(Clarendon College) – Sandie Richards – 7^th in 1992 and 1996.

800m

(St Jago) – Kenia Sinclair- 6^th in 2008.

100 Hurdles

(St Jago) – Delloreen Ennis London – 4^th in 2000 and 5^th in 2008.                                Michelle Freeman – 6^th in 1996.

(Vere Technical) – Dione Rose – 5^th in 1996.                                                            Lacena Golding- Clarke – 5^th in 2004.

(St Elizabeth Technical) Brigitte Foster -Hylton – 6^th in 2008 and 8^th in 2000.

400 Hurdles

(Vere Technical)- Deon Hemmings - Gold in 1996; Silver in 2000; 7^th in 1992.                   

Debbie Ann Parris – 4^th in 1996.                                                                                               

Note: Hemmings also attended York Castle.

(St Jago)- Melaine Walker – Gold in 2008.

(Manning’s) Kaliese Spencer- 4^th in 2012.

(Edwin Allen) – Ristananna Tracey- 5^th in 2016.

(Abington HS, Pennsylvania, USA) – Leah Nugent -6^th in 2016.

(Holmwood)- Janieve Russell – 7^th in 2016.

(St Angela Academy, NY, USA) Sandra Farmer – 8^th in 1984.

Long Jump

(Elmont Memorial, NY, USA) Chelsea Hammond – Bronze in 2008.

(Kingston Technical)- aka The Technical School -Kathleen Russell – 6^th in 1948.

Triple Jump

(Manning’s) Trecia Kaye Smith – 4^th in 2004 and 7^th in 2012.

(Vere Technical) Kimberly Williams – 6^th in 2012 and 7^th in 2016.

High Jump

(St Hugh’s) Vinton Beckett – 4^th in 1948.

 

Summary

A total of fifteen Jamaican High Schools and three High Schools in the United States, are credited for producing forty (40) athletes who have contested the finals of an Olympic Track and Field event.

Please note, Juliet Cuthbert attended Morant Bay High school but completed her High School education at Olney HS in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Thirty seven of the forty athletes were developed in Jamaica and the other three are products of the US high school system.

Vere Technical High School, the 22-time champions who won a record 15 consecutive titles from 1979 to 1993, leads the list with 10 athletes.                              

Veronica Campbell-Brown is their premier athlete with 2 Gold (200m) and 2 Bronze (100m) medals, included in 5 finals appearances.                                          

Merlene Ottey is another outstanding performer from Vere. She is a 9-time finalist with 2 silver medals (100, 200), 5 bronze medals (2 in the 100m and 3 in the 200m).                                                                                                                                

Deon Hemmings has the distinction of being the first Caribbean female gold medalist (400h) and she also added a silver medal as she closed her career with 3 finals appearances in this grueling event.                                                                        

Beverly McDonald with a 200m bronze in the 2000 Olympics and Shericka Jackson 400m bronze in 2016, are Vere’s other medalists.

Vere Technical have not only produced champions on the high school level but also Olympic champions, medalists and finalists.

St Jago the winners of 4 consecutive titles from 1996 to 1999, produced 5 athletes who made an Olympic final.                                                                                    

Melaine Walker, the 2008 Olympic 400h champion, heads the list of St Jago athletes.                                                                                                                                 

Kerron Stewart in 2008, won silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m.

Manchester High School must be noted for contributing 3 excellent athletes who either won medals or were individual finalists at the Olympics.                                                                                                

Elaine Thompson heads the list with double gold medals from the 2016 games in the 100 and 200m.                                                                                                              

Lorraine Graham won a silver medal in the 400m at the 2000 games.                   

Sherone Simpson won a silver in the 200m at the 2008 games.

Manning’s High School also produced three Olympic finalists although none of them won a medal.

Despite only contributing one athlete to the list, Wolmer’s must be mentioned.  Shelly Ann Fraser -Pryce won 100m gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and won a bronze medal in 2016.  In 2012, she also won a silver medal in the 200m.

It is important to appreciate what a great achievement it is for an athlete to contest an Olympic Track and Field final.                                                                        

To win a gold, silver or bronze medal is the ultimate reward for any athlete.

With the exception of the three athletes who attended high schools in the USA and the trailblazing 1948 Olympians Vinton Beckett, Cynthia Thompson and Kathleen Russell, the other 34 ladies have been featured at “Girls Champs”. Many of them were “Champs” legends while others were good competitors and a few competed without distinction.

They all graduated and progressed to compete against the best in the world without fear and with great confidence because of the belief that they are destined to win.

Let’s celebrate them as we, Celebrate, Jamaica 58!

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Editor’s note. Dale Brown is a sports historian and host of SECOND BASE, the total sports program airing Tuesdays, 7 – 8 pm, on the Wee Radio Network at; www.weeradioonline.com.