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PRESSING THE PANIC BUTTON
TUESDAY, 19 APRIL 2011 04:55 EDITOR
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Ever since Delano Williams of Munro College and the Turks & Caicos polished off his rivals in the Grace/ISSA Championships class 1 200 metres, Jamaicans have begun to press the panic button. The emerging sentiment is that he will become a threat to Jamaican sprinters.
One fan told me that if he is a product of the Jamaican high school system, he should change nationality and run for Jamaica. Apparently, Delano's performances at Champs, where he won three gold medals, made a big impression.
Those who watched his sparkling Milo Western Champs class 1 sprint double weren't surprised. Even though there was no wind gauge there, his winning times — 10.51 and 20.73 seconds — were achieved in what appeared to be reasonably calm conditions. As everyone found out at Champs, the boy is for real.
He isn't the first overseas high school athlete to blossom here. STETHS had middle distance maestro Sebastian Warner of St Vincent here in the nineteen- eighties. St Andrew High had Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands and Grenada's Hazel-Ann Regis at different times. Camperdown has had overseas student-athletes in the past too.
Williams isn't the only overseas student in the Jamaican high school system. His versatile compatriot Ifeanyi Otuonye led off Munro's victorious class 1 4x100 team at Champs and anchored Munro a 4x400 win at the Gibson Relays. Wolmers has Najeema Callender from Trinidad & Tobago. The wonderful JC squad included Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Great Britain and Calabar has the Caymanian middle distance ace, Jorel Bellafonte.
If these student-athletes begin to excel, I wonder if the emerging sentiment will require them to change passports too.
World-beaters
In 1942, Jamaican icon Herb McKenley started a trend when he became the first Jamaica to take up a scholarship to Boston College. There and at the University of Illinois, he blossomed into a world-beater.
George Rhoden, Donald Quarrie, Deon Hemmings, Bert Cameron, Merlene Ottey, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Juliet Cuthbert and Kerron Stewart all took the same route.
Even current train-at-home stars like Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Melaine Walker went to college in the USA before coming back to Jamaica.
Pressing the panic button isn't uniquely Jamaican. On a recurring basis, Americans wonder whether it is right for their college sports system to develop overseas talent. From time to time, they ask themselves if scholarships given to non- Americans displaced home talent.
Imagine what they must have been thinking in 1992 when Michelle Freeman became the first non-American to win the 100 metre hurdles at the US Collegiate Championships, the NCAA. Imagine the consternation when Gillian Russell won the next three titles in the same event.
That system has routinely recruited Caribbean, European and African athletes as well.
Active sprinters Before we press the panic button at home, it would be good to remember that Jamaicans still go into the US college system in great numbers. There can't be much difference between Williams and company coming to Jamaica to better themselves and McKenley, Ottey, VCB, Hemmings et al going to the States to do the same.
From a purely athletic point of view, it would be premature to press the panic button. After all, Jamaica has seven active sprinters with 100 metre times under 10 seconds and three with 200 metre times under 20 seconds.
One of those men is the incomparable Usain Bolt.
Besides, Jamaica's young brigade is quite good. To gain regional ascendancy, Williams will have to contend with Winston Barnes, Oshane Bailey, Kimari Roach, Rasheed Dwyer and Nickel Ashmeade.
On another note, I erred last week in this space when I tried to put performances by Ristananna Tracey into perspective.
Her time of 55.81 seconds actually makes her 3rd all time amongst Jamaican juniors in the 400 metre hurdles behind Kaliese Spencer, 55.11 to win the 2006 World Junior title, and Walker, 55.62. Since then, I've heard that 'Rista' has several offers for US scholarships.
Those making the offers clearly aren't pressing the panic button.
Hubert Lawrence has covered Champs since 1987
TUESDAY, 19 APRIL 2011 04:55 EDITOR
User Rating: / 2
PoorBest
Ever since Delano Williams of Munro College and the Turks & Caicos polished off his rivals in the Grace/ISSA Championships class 1 200 metres, Jamaicans have begun to press the panic button. The emerging sentiment is that he will become a threat to Jamaican sprinters.
One fan told me that if he is a product of the Jamaican high school system, he should change nationality and run for Jamaica. Apparently, Delano's performances at Champs, where he won three gold medals, made a big impression.
Those who watched his sparkling Milo Western Champs class 1 sprint double weren't surprised. Even though there was no wind gauge there, his winning times — 10.51 and 20.73 seconds — were achieved in what appeared to be reasonably calm conditions. As everyone found out at Champs, the boy is for real.
He isn't the first overseas high school athlete to blossom here. STETHS had middle distance maestro Sebastian Warner of St Vincent here in the nineteen- eighties. St Andrew High had Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands and Grenada's Hazel-Ann Regis at different times. Camperdown has had overseas student-athletes in the past too.
Williams isn't the only overseas student in the Jamaican high school system. His versatile compatriot Ifeanyi Otuonye led off Munro's victorious class 1 4x100 team at Champs and anchored Munro a 4x400 win at the Gibson Relays. Wolmers has Najeema Callender from Trinidad & Tobago. The wonderful JC squad included Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Great Britain and Calabar has the Caymanian middle distance ace, Jorel Bellafonte.
If these student-athletes begin to excel, I wonder if the emerging sentiment will require them to change passports too.
World-beaters
In 1942, Jamaican icon Herb McKenley started a trend when he became the first Jamaica to take up a scholarship to Boston College. There and at the University of Illinois, he blossomed into a world-beater.
George Rhoden, Donald Quarrie, Deon Hemmings, Bert Cameron, Merlene Ottey, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Juliet Cuthbert and Kerron Stewart all took the same route.
Even current train-at-home stars like Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Melaine Walker went to college in the USA before coming back to Jamaica.
Pressing the panic button isn't uniquely Jamaican. On a recurring basis, Americans wonder whether it is right for their college sports system to develop overseas talent. From time to time, they ask themselves if scholarships given to non- Americans displaced home talent.
Imagine what they must have been thinking in 1992 when Michelle Freeman became the first non-American to win the 100 metre hurdles at the US Collegiate Championships, the NCAA. Imagine the consternation when Gillian Russell won the next three titles in the same event.
That system has routinely recruited Caribbean, European and African athletes as well.
Active sprinters Before we press the panic button at home, it would be good to remember that Jamaicans still go into the US college system in great numbers. There can't be much difference between Williams and company coming to Jamaica to better themselves and McKenley, Ottey, VCB, Hemmings et al going to the States to do the same.
From a purely athletic point of view, it would be premature to press the panic button. After all, Jamaica has seven active sprinters with 100 metre times under 10 seconds and three with 200 metre times under 20 seconds.
One of those men is the incomparable Usain Bolt.
Besides, Jamaica's young brigade is quite good. To gain regional ascendancy, Williams will have to contend with Winston Barnes, Oshane Bailey, Kimari Roach, Rasheed Dwyer and Nickel Ashmeade.
On another note, I erred last week in this space when I tried to put performances by Ristananna Tracey into perspective.
Her time of 55.81 seconds actually makes her 3rd all time amongst Jamaican juniors in the 400 metre hurdles behind Kaliese Spencer, 55.11 to win the 2006 World Junior title, and Walker, 55.62. Since then, I've heard that 'Rista' has several offers for US scholarships.
Those making the offers clearly aren't pressing the panic button.
Hubert Lawrence has covered Champs since 1987
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