The annual VMBS Boys and Girls Championships have been the island's foremost track and field meet for many years.

Each meet gives track and field enthusiasts, both here and abroad, a good look on the depth of talent Jamaica possesses at the junior level. Almost all of Jamaica's top track and field stars came through the annual championships. Some, like current world 100 metres champion Asafa Powell, were not stars at 'Champs' but went on to produce quality performances on the world stage after leaving school. The championships, however, gave all of them their first taste of real competition.

Lifting the bar

The championships in recent years has not produced enough quality performances and coaches who are now getting their athletes ready for the new season should look seriously at trying to lift the bar at the meet.

Three years ago ago Usain Bolt of William Knibb High pushed things to a new high in the 200m and 400m, with two outstanding record performances of 20.25 seconds and 45.35 seconds respectively in the Class 1 finals.

In this year's meet Leford Green of Kingston College clocked 45.82 for the 400m but the year before the winning time was 48.06. Bolt is an athlete out of the top drawer so it may not be fair to expect other athletes to be coming close to his record times each year. However, with the talent that Jamaica has, sub-46 seconds times should be the norm for Class 1 boys at the annual championships.

In the 200m, times under 21 seconds for Class 1 are what coaches and athletes should be aiming at. Camperdown's Remaldo Rose did a fine 20.91 at the last meet, but in the previous year (2005) the winning time was 21.42.

Unlike the 200m and 400m, performances in the 100m have been consistently good. Rose, with 10.30 in 2006, went close to the 10.24 mark set by St. George's Tesfa Latty in 2003.

Among the Class 1 girls the 400m mark has been attacked consistently and last year Holmwood's Sonita Sutherland took the record down to 51.13.

Holmwood, under coach Maurice Wilson, have produced a long line of very good 400 metres runners including Sheryl Morgan, Aneisha McLaughlin and Suther-land. All are now out of high school and it is left to be seen who will take up the baton from the Manchester-based institution.

Sutherland was very good and it is unlikely that anyone will challenge her record next year, but let's hope we will not go back to winning times of above 53 seconds in the Class 1 girls 400m.

The Class 1 girls 200m record of 22.71 which was set by Vere Technical's Simone Facey in 2004 looks safe for now. Holmwood's McLaughlin was expected to threaten this time in 2005 but the record remained intact.

Good double

Holmwood's Schilloni Calvert had a good double this year of 11.39 and 23.58.

The 100m record , 11.13, which was set by outstanding Vere athlete, Veronica Campbell in 2001, is also likely to remain on the books for some time. It is a time which is good enough to reach a women's 100m final and win a medal at the world level. Only a very special athlete will be able to go under this time and special athletes are not born everyday. For the girls Class 1 100m we should be able to maintain times of under 11.50 while for the 200m we should be looking at below 23.20 seconds.

Send your comments to elton.tucker@gleanerjm.com.