by Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer

Bobby-Gaye Wilkins (second left) with members of Holmwood's winning 4x400m team shortly after the race at the National Stadium last Saturday. The other runners are (from left) Petra Fanty, Shantea McLean and Andrea Reid. Holmwood clocked 3:36.44 to win from Vere 3:36.82 and Edwin Allen 3:37.06 - Ian Allen

St Jago High's sprint twins, Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmeade, 5000m winner Kemoy Campbell of Bellefield High, Vere Technical's Jura Levy, Ramone McKenzie of Calabar and Munro College's Class Three 100m record breaker, Adam Cummings, all had special moments that would have competed for the best cheers of last weekend's GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships.

However, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins' scorching run in anchoring the Holmwood 4x400m team to victory in the last female event on the night must have ranked very high on any list.

In previous years, there was nothing to look forward to when it came to that event, except for a Holmwood record. This time, pride was stake and the enormous challenge of protecting the prestigious tradition of having not lost a 4x400m race since the championship held at GC Foster in 2002.

Just minutes before the race, coach Maurice Wilson, in a radio interview, was very conservative about his team's chances, saying then "it would be difficult to win".

Just a cursory look at the team in running order seemed to justify that caution: Starting first would be Petra Fanty, the Class Two sprinter who had managed just fourth place in both the 100m and 200m; Andrea Reid, who had finished third in the 400m hurdles; Chantea McLean, the Class Three star athlete who had won both the 800m and 1500m; and Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, the expected lynchpin, and winner of the both the 400m and 800m.

Vere, Edwin Allen and Manchester High did most of the running for the first three legs, and with Wilkins collecting the baton well behind the two leaders, some 30 metres behind, the feeling among most of those watching was that the gap was too huge, even for someone of her pedigree.

Wilkins, apparently still struck by the way she responded told Star Sports: "I told myself I would not panic. I just (kept) remember (ing) what my coach told me ... maintain your form ... maintain your form."

Wilkins had gone out fast, hitting top speed earlier than normal. Thoughts of giving up the chase even entered her mind for a few seconds.

"At the 200m mark when I catch (caught) up with them (the front- runners), I just felt I could go no more, but I just backed that out of my mind and kept on running ... running."

Lifted by the deafening cheers, Wilkins surged into the lead with a mere 15 metres to go to complete an astounding win. More important, she may have left the perfect memory that would inspire future Holmwood athletes to produce determined peformances under pressure, regardless of the opposition.