Tatiana Wolfe

Although yet to win a title at the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships, corporate area school Convent of Mercy (Alpha) have held their own and have been very consistent over the years.

The school has had several top 10 finishes and seen several of their athletes representing the country at the national junior level, especially in the hurdles and the jumps.

Long-time coach at the institution, Lorna Vernon, who is also a past student, is hoping that her team will be very competitive once again this season.

"We have been in the top 10 on a regular basis and we have a young set of girls who can hold their own," said Vernon, who is a full-time mathematics teacher at Ardenne High and a part-time teacher at the University of Technology.

Of course, the likes of hurdlers Rosemarie Carty, Shermaine Williams, in the sprint hurdles, and Peaches Roach, in the high jump, have all medalled for the country at junior meets. Williams was a silver medallist at the World Junior Championships in the 100 metres hurdles in 2008 in Poland, and along with Carty finished one-two at the Junior Pan Am Championships two years ago in Trinidad and Tobago.

Roach, who was their first medallist at Champs, was the national junior record holder up until recently, when the mark set in 2003, 1.86 metres, was erased by Edwin Allen's Kimberly Williamson, who did 1.88 metres at the Central Championships at G.C. Foster College.

high hopes

Vernon, who is in her 15th year as a coach at the institution, has high hopes for several of her athletes this year.

"We expect to do well in the normal events that we have done well in the past, like the hurdles and the jumps, as the girls have been consistent all season," she said.

Among those athletes is her sibling Zeneden Russell, who will take part in the 70 metres hurdles and the high jump. Russell, who is also the daughter of Kingston College head coach Michael Russell, has been one of the most consistent hurdlers in the class this season, with a season best 11.62 seconds. She will be competing in the class for the second consecutive year, and at 12 years old she still has another year in Class IV.

The Alpha team should also get good results from Class II athletes Tatiana Wolfe and Krista-gaye Taylor in the Class II high jump, and Kimberly Golding, who is favoured to win the Class I 100 metres hurdles.

Wolfe is also expected to be very competitive in the Class 11 100 metres hurdles.

"Alpha has a hard-working set of girls and I expect them to lift their performances at Champs. I am hoping that their fans will come out and give them their full support," concluded Vernon, who is also a national junior coach.

( L - R ) Peaches Roach, Shermaine Williams