RAYMOND GRAHAM, STAR writer

One athlete who stood head and shoulders above the rest at last weekend's Douglas Forrest Invitational track and field meet, was Mount Alvernia High's Soyinne Grenyion.

The Montego Bay-based athlete, who celebrated her 13th birthday a few days earlier, gave fans goose pimples in heat four of the high school girls' 200m.

The former Hemmingay Prep athlete stopped the clock at 24.97 seconds, the second fastest time of the day. Only class one athlete, Taishia Pryce, of St Andrew Technical (24.81), was faster.

They were the only female athletes to go under 25 seconds over the half-lap event. Even more impressive, Grenyion ran out of lane one. She is now favourite to win the event at Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships in March.

Grenyion last competed inside the National Stadium at May's JISA Prep School Championships, where she finished fourth in the 200m in 27.03 seconds.

Two athletes who defeated her then, Aaliyah Drysden, formerly of Hydel Prep, now at Hydel and, Hughesia Fyffe, formerly of Quest, now at Immaculate, competed on Saturday in separate heats, and finished third and sixth, overall, in 26.39 and 26.63 seconds, respectively.

Grenyion's coach, Andrew Henry, thinks she is a special talent.

"Although we knew she was very special, I didn't expect her to run that fast, so early. She is very disciplined and very focused in her training. She has the potential to do great things, but we are not rushing her," he said.

Grenyion failed to make the finals of the 100m at the Prep School Champs - Henry was asked which event she will likely focus on.

"She will not specialise (right now). We are going to leave her options open. She is young and is learning."

Grenyion will run her first 100m at tomorrow's STETHS Invitational. She told STAR Sports she was proud of her show in Kingston.

"When I heard the time, I was a bit surprised, but I did not understand until I went to school on Monday, when all my friends came to congratulate me, it started to stick in," she said.

"I am very confident that I will run much faster. My coach is teaching me the techniques in the sprints, and this will definitely help me to improve," she said.