St Elizabeth has surged to the top of the JTA/Sagicor National Athletics Championship at the National Stadium with 52.83 points after six finals.

The 2023 champions hold an eight-point lead over Portland on 44.5 and St Catherine with 30.83 points entering the final day on Saturday. St Andrew on 21 points are fourth, and Westmoreland with 19.5 rounded out the top five.

The top 10 is completed by Trelawny (13), St Ann (12), Manchester (11.33), St James (6) and Clarendon (4). Defending champions St Thomas are in 11^th spot with three points and a lot of catching up to do.

This year marks the milestone 40th staging of the event and is being held under the distinguished patronage of Veronica Campbell Brown, Jamaican track and field legend and multi-Olympic medallist.

Over 1,300 primary and all-age school students are competing in this intra-parish two-day championship sponsored by Sagicor Foundation to the tune of $12 million.

In the first final of the day, Theokane Hines of Westmoreland won the boys’ high jump with a leap of 1.40m, the same mark as second and third placed Fabian Pantern of St Andrew and Ricardo Chambers of Portland.

Stacian Forrest of St Elizabeth took the girls’ shot put with a throw of 10.62m ahead of Portland’s Tessanne Henry with 9.20m.

Trina Bent of St Elizabeth captured the girls’ Under-9 ball throw with 28.44m ahead of Amoya Moore of Portland with 26.47m.

In the girls’ high jump open, Comoy Jones of St Catherine took the honours with a leap of 1.45m, the same mark as second-placed Tahirra Anthony of St Andrew.

Dontae Williams of St Catherine won the boys’ shot put open with a throw of 12.08m ahead of Orlando Dennis of Portland with 11.09m.