After two days of outstanding performances, fierce competition and remarkable displays of determination, St. Catherine successfully defended its title at the 41st JTA/Sagicor National Athletics Championships.

St. Catherine finished atop the standings for a second consecutive year after another memorable staging of Jamaica’s premier primary school athletics competition, accumulating 292 points to secure the title ahead of St. Andrew with 274.5 points. Portland completed the top three with 177.5 points. 

More than 1,200 student-athletes representing all 14 parishes competed across the Under-9 to Under-15 categories over the two-day championship, once again highlighting the depth of talent that continues to fuel Jamaica’s athletics legacy. The win marks another strong showing for St. Catherine, which entered this year’s Championships as defending champion and delivered under pressure to take home the title once again.

Sports Coordinator for St. Catherine, Chevaun Powel, described the back-to-back victory as the result of months of preparation, discipline and collective commitment. “As the new Parish Coordinator, I feel elated to have won the Championships. For me, the standout moment was the boys’ Under 13 4×100 metres heats, where they broke the meet record. They went on to win the gold medal in the final, making the achievement even more special,” explained Powell.

Other winners

Javeiro Cameron of St Mary walked away with the title of Champion Boy while the Champion Girl title went to Travaneek Breakenridge of St Andrew . As part of the Championships’ long-standing commitment to education, each Champion will receive a full secondary school scholarship courtesy of the Sagicor Foundation.

Shanoya Douglas, Patron for this year’s Championships, praised the standard of competition and encouraged the young athletes to continue pursuing excellence both on and off the track. 

“Watching these young athletes compete has been inspiring. Whether they stood on the podium or not, every child who competed should leave knowing they did their best. Can’t wait to see some of them representing Jamaica in the future,” she remarked.

Sagicor’s Vice President, Communications, Social Media and Corporate Social Responsibility, Nicole Campbell Robinson reported that the event continues to deliver far more than medals and trophies.

According to her, “for 41 years, the Championships has represented opportunity. It gives children from every parish a stage to dream bigger, discover their potential and build confidence that extends well beyond athletics. We are proud that Sagicor Foundation continues to invest in a programme that changes lives through both sport and education.”

Chairman of JTA’s National Sports Committee, Winston Robinson said this year’s staging is one of the best in the event’s four-decade history. “Every year we witness new talent emerging and this year is no different. After more than 40 finals, we are proud of what was on display over the last two days. This is really where it all starts for our future national champions and superstars,” Robinson declared.

The Sagicor Foundation contributed J$16 million towards the staging of this year’s Championships, continuing one of the longest-standing partnerships in Jamaican youth sport. Over four decades, the event has become the country’s premier primary school athletics competition and has helped nurture generations of athletes who have gone on to represent Jamaica with distinction on the regional and international stage.