Sheldon Mitchell (left) looks across as he crosses the line for Swept Track Club ahead of MVP to win the men's/institution 4x100m relay. - Adrian Frater

New kids on the block Swept Track club have targeted the dominance of more established counterparts Racers Track Club and MVP Track Club as a major target in years to come, building on an impressive achievement at the MILO Western Relays last weekend.

The club achieved its biggest success to date giving the star-studded MVP their first-ever defeat at the meet, in the men's 4x100 metres relay. They stunned the large crowd at the Catherine Hall Sports Complex with an upset win in the event, where they clocked 38.84 seconds to relegate the Stephen Francis-coached team, who clocked 38.97 seconds, into second. The MVP team included three of the country's top 100 metres male athletes, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter. Many would not have given the club a chance as their quartet included Ainsley Waugh, Dexter Lee, Keneil Lee and Sheldon Mitchell.

worked hard

"This is definitely the biggest achievement so far for the club," said Swept head, Okeile Stewart. The coach admits that while the team worked hard in training, he was somewhat surprised with the win.

"Yes and no because you are running against a team that included three of the country's top sprinters, but at the same time I told my athletes to focus on their lane and do their best," he said.

"I believe in the group of guys who I coach and I told them that anything is possible because there is chemistry in my team," he continued.

Stewart who has worked with the likes of top coaches, Glen Mills, Fitz Coleman and Stephen Francis, with whom he spent most of his time at MVP as a masseur, decided to form his own club because he wanted to branch out on his own. He started with one athlete in 2007, Oral Thompson a former National senior 400 metres champion.

Since starting with that one athlete his training base has grown much bigger and after starting out at the University of West Indies and then Papine High, the club moved its base to The Mico University College in September of last year, when Stewart was offered a job at the university to coach their athletes.

Following the win last Saturday, Stewart knows that his team is now under the microscope and is looking forward to the Gibson Relays, where they will have an even bigger task, as they will come up against the Yohan Blake-led Racers team.

"The win against MVP has given the guys a lot of confidence and they know that they will now be in the limelight. They will have to deliver and I know they can run much faster because when they competed at the Western Relays they were loaded, but with a few days to go before Gibson Relays the training will be lighter and I expect them to run at least a low 38 seconds, but they will have to do so, or even run a sub 38 seconds if they are to beat Racers."