Calabar High School 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletics Champions
At the end of the meet at the National Stadium, defending champions Calabar High retained the Boys’ title with 277.5 points, while Holmwood secured their sixth straight lien of the Girls’ crown with 352 points. Kingston College were second in the boys’ standings with 233, followed by St Jago on 155.5, Jamaica College 153, and Wolmer’s on 128 rounding out the top five on the boys’ side.
Andrew Riley of Calabar and Salcia Slack of Holmwood were the overall champion boy and girl, respectively, of the meet. World Youth 100m and 200m silver medallist, Ashmeade, produced a scorching last 20 metres sprint to catch and nip Calabar’s Ramone McKenzie on the finish-line in 21.04 seconds into a strong head wind (-2.1 p/s).
McKenzie, who had posted 46.32secs to win the 400 metres three hours earlier, was beaten by 0.01 second in his favoured half-lap race. Blake, who led the race for the most part, faded badly and had to settle for bronze in 21.31secs. Incidentally, for the first time in the history of the meet, the top seven finalists went below 22secs. Jason Young of William Knibb was fourth in 21.70, Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison fifth (21.76), Jamaica College’s Winston Barnes sixth (21.84) and Oshane Bailey of Calabar seventh (21.97). Darrion Bent of Mannings High did not finish the race.

The Class Two equivalent went to Calabar’s Travis Drummond - the Class Three champion and record holder (22.17secs) from last season - in 22.40secs. Teivaskie Lewin of Herbert Morrison was second in 22.45secs ahead of Munro College’s Rolando Reid in 22.65secs.
Jazeel Murphy returned 22.62 to win the Class Three event ahead Odean Skeen of Wolmer’s (23.02) and 100-metre gold medallist Adam Cummings of Munro College (23.28secs). Yesterday’s victory was Calabar’s 21st lien on the Mortimor Geddes trophy in the 97-year history of the meet, which was first staged in 1910. Their first win came in 1930. No competition was held in 1944.
Michael Clarke, a former student/athlete at Calabar, was registering his 10th hold on the trophy, having won once with St Jago (1987), seven times with JC (1991, ‘92, ‘94, ‘95, ‘98, ‘99, and 2000 as well as last year with his alma mater. The Calabar head coach told the Sunday Observer that this victory meant a lot to the school in an academic year that saw the school family losing legendary Olympian Herb McKenley, as well as David Hunt, the Kingston College old boy who coached the football team to victory in the last school year, and acting principal Jennifer Gordon.
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21 Responses to “Calabar High School 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletics Champions”
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Congratulations to C’BAR on winning the 2008 Issa/Grace Kennedy Boys’ Athletics Championships.
Congrats to the boys from Red Hills road. Long live the Rabalac Lions. Well done.
Well done Calabar, see you next year. Wey wi sey TO THE WORL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tek wi a guh tek it to them, and Calabar did tek it to them.
RABALAC FI LIFE, ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH LINE. TWO THOUSAND AND GREAT, TO THE WORL, KABOOM!!!!!!!
[…] are the 2008 Boys champs winners amassing a whopping 277.5 points. Here are some pictures of the days festivities and celebrations […]
IT WAS GREAT FEELING TO SEE THE SONS OF RABALAC TAKE THE THROPHY. COACH MICHEAL CLARKE HAS BEEN A PROVEN WINNER AND WINNING THIS ONE FOR THE LATE GREAT HERB MCKENLEY AND DR. GORDON, OUR LATE PRINCIPAL WAS TRULY GRATIFYING. SOME WHERE I KNOW THAT MR BARRINGTON ROBINSON “RABI” OUR LATE FIELD EVENTS COACH IS SMILING.RAMONE “GOATY” MCKENZIE, ANDRE “ICKYMAN” THOMAS AND THE ENTIRE TEAM SHOWED WAHT IT MEANT TO BE A TEAM AND COME THROUGH WHEN IT MATTEERED MOST. WE AS OLD BOYS ARE TRULY PROUD OF THE ALL INVOLVED FROM THE COACHES, THE ATHLETHES TO THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM. WE EXPRESS OUR SINCERE AND DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. YES WE WON, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WON WITH CLASS AND DIGNITY. THOSE ARE ALL SIGNS OF A TRUE CHAMPION.
jermaine brown did not run but mi know dat calabar love him for that and to raja big up and to all the calabar boys
Congrats C-Bar on an impressive victory and big up ST JAGO HIGH (numero uno)!!!
big up c-bar to d worl
weh mi seh rabalac to di flippin worl!!!
keep sweet and sexy boys.
WTF is Rabalac?
rabalac mi a seh from mi born an mi nah change
2 D WORL!!!!!!!!!!!
watch your back this year suckers from kc
rabalac to the world keep sexy boys
rabalac to the world stay
sexy boys
kc all the way rabalac go and sleep
Big up cbar but jago look hot an ready
Stay a top C-bar.Rabalac to the end.One of the best time in my life, was a C-Bar.Champs all the way.
well yuh done know seh c-bar to the flippin worl, this year nah past cuz we born as a winner…#1 C-BAR TO THE WORL!!!
C-BAR&JAGO of course that my two school,bar sexy boys keep it like that and jago hot track girls like me of course to the worl me seh dat…