RAYMOND GRAHAM, Star Sports

THE 12th staging of the Wesley Powell track and field meet, which gets under way tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. at Excelsior High, is expected to be the biggest ever, as at the close of registration at midnight on Thursday over 1,600 athletes representing some 52 teams had registered.

Despite the track and field season not getting into full gear until early next month, the numbers are extremely big seeing that it is only the middle of December.

According to meet director, David Riley, entries have been received from a wide cross section of the country, with teams coming from Manchester, St Elizabeth, St Thomas, Portland, Clarendon and St Mary.

For tomorrow's meet, athletes will be competing in over distance races and will only be allowed to compete in track shoes, except for field events, which will be used as qualifiers for next year's ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships, which will be held between March 24-28 at the National Stadium. Several top female high-school teams will be competing in large numbers and despite this being an over distance meet, all eyes will be on St Jago.

first title

There are early whispers that they will be the team to beat next year, as the Spanish Town-based institution will be hoping to win its first title since 1999 when the school won four in a row. With the likes of Kimone Shaw, Natalliah Whyte, Shanice Reid, Genekee Leith, Peta Gaye Williams and former Vere Technical hurdler Andrenette Knight in their line-up, the Monk Street team will be hoping to send early signals.

On the male side most of the top teams like Calabar, Kingston College and Jamaica College will be entering athletes in the lower classes, but, despite that, it should be quite an exciting affair. It is expected that most of these teams will have good participation on the field as they hope to meet early qualifying standard for Champs.

The first track event will be the 5000 metres open, while there will be shot put girls Classes 1 and 2. Long jump girls Classes III and IV along with high jump for Classes II and IV for boys. The full list of events on the track will be 150 metres, 300 metres, 600 metres, 1000 metres, along with 4x300 metres open relays. Other field events are javelin throw boys and girls long jump, girls Classes 1 and 2, high jump boys Classes 1 and 2, pole vault boys Open and shot put boys and Girls Open.