There were top performances galore at last week’s high school spectacular, the Boys and Girls Championships. Leading the way was Kerrica Hill who lowered the world under 18 record in the 100m hurdles. Hill, Jayden Hibbert, Serena Cole, Onieka McAnuff, Dejanea Oakley and Oneka Wilson delighted fans with action that earned them top spots on the 2022 performance lists in their respective events.

Competing for Hydel High School, she first won the class 2 100m in a record-equalling time of 11.16 seconds. When she turned her attention to the hurdles, the 2021 World Under 20 4x100m gold medal winner zipped 12.89 seconds. That rewrote Ackera Nugent’s class 2 record of 12.91 and tied the global under-18 mark also held by Nugent. On the last day of the Championships, Hill took sole ownership of the world record with a terrific run – 12.71 seconds.

Her Hydel teammate Wilson dominated the class 1 100m hurdles in 13 seconds flat, the best under-20 time in the world this year. Cole achieved the same distinction with her leap in the Class-1 long jump – 6.36m, before helping Edwin Allen to lower its own world high school 4x100m record to 43.28 seconds.

Jumping for Kingston College, Hibbert bounded 7.87m in the long jump and a record distance of 16.66m to capture the triple jump title. Both are world-leading marks.

The other world-leading under-20 results came in the 400m courtesy of Clarendon College standout Oakley and in the 400m hurdles by McAnuff.

Oakley outraced McAnuff in the flat 400, 51.81 seconds to 52.34

McAnuff, the Hydel captain, beat the former world leader Sahfia Hinds of St Jago, 57.68 seconds in the hurdles.

There was a thrilling finish in the girls’ class 1 100m. World Under-20 100m champion Tina Clayton edged Brianna Lyston in the Class 1 100m final on April 6.

Buffeted by a headwind measured at -2.2m/s, Clayton finished strongly to win in 11.23 seconds, 0.03 ahead of Lyston.

Ironically, a -2.2m/s headwind faced Lyston in the 200m final on April 9, Nevertheless, she lowered her personal best from 22.66 seconds to 22.53. That improved on a record set in 2004 by Simone Facey.

Roshawn Clarke ran brilliantly in the Class-1 400m hurdles and emerged with a personal best of 49.50 seconds. The time elevates Clarke to the number 2 spot on the 2022 world under-20 list and on the all-time Jamaican performance list.

Jahvel Granville and Deshaun Lamb had to be separated by the photo-finish judges after the class 1 110m hurdles. Granville won but Lamb got the same time of 13.56 seconds. They share the number 4 spot on the 2022 world under 20 list.

Led by Hibbert, Kingston College regained the boys’ team title and the Edwin Allen team including Clayton and Cole repeated as girls’ team champions.