SEVERAL scintillating clashes are in the offing over the next four days at the 2008 GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys' & Girls' Athletic Championships which begins this morning with the first event of the Boys' heptathlon - the 110m hurdles at 8:15.

LEE . of Calabar could dominate the Class Two boys' 100m and 200m

The Class One boys 100m promises to be a crack field with the likes of World Junior bronze medallist and national junior record holder Yohan Blake of St Jago, World Youth champion Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison and WYC silver medallist Nickel Ashmeade also of St Jago vying for spots in Friday's final.

World Youth champion Ramone McKenzie of Calabar and the WYC bronze medallist Ashmeade should again line up in the 200m. McKenzie beat Ashmeade for the boys' Under-20 title at the Carifta Trials a week and a half ago. Double Carifta Trials champion Earl Lee of Calabar could dominate the Class Two boys' 100m and 200m.

Class Two girls' 100m and 200m should feature another interesting battle between Vere Technical's Jura Levy and St Thomas Tech's Carrie Russell, who shared the honours at the Carifta Trials. World Juniors medallist Russell beat Levy for the 100m title, while Levy turned the tables in the 200m.

Campion's Theon O'Connor will be gunning for his sixth consecutive half-mile title when he lines up in the Class One boys' 800m. The Class Two boys' 800m also should provide an interesting match-up between Class Three champion Waquar DaCosta of Jamaica College and Seaforth's Javere Bell, who beat him twice this season, including at the Carifta Trials.

Central Jamaica will feature highly for both boys and girls in the middle distance events with the petite Natoya Goule, who has been smashing records left, right, and centre, this season looking set to dominate both the Class Two 800m and 1,500m, while road race king Kemoy Campbell could lower the Class One 1,500m and boys' 5,000m Open marks.

Holmwood's Bobbie-Gaye Wilkins, in her final year at Class One, should also be expected to lead a strong school team in the 400m and 800m.

One hundred and fifty-seven schools - 84 boys and 73 girls - will compete in 81 events, including the boys' and girls' 100m, 200m, 400m for all Classes, 800m, 1,500m, long jump, high jump, triple jump, discus, 5,000m, and the curtain-closing girls' 4x400m Open and boys' 4x400m Open relays.

Holmwood Technical and Calabar are the defending girls' and boys' champions, respectively. Holmwood won their fifth straight title last year, while Calabar won their first crown since back-to-back victories in 1996 and 1997.

Holmwood's coach, Maurice Wilson, told the Observer that based on the recent performances from his athletes and the strong base in the lower classes, his team should be a formidable force to contend with again this year, but he isn't leaving anything to chance.

"If we should continue like this then undoubtedly I think we will regain our championships but... championships is decided in that period of time so it's very difficult to pre-empt it and it all depends on the team which is more experienced and can deal with the pressure, but overall I think we have the most balanced team," he said.

Calabar's coach Michael Clarke was concise in stating: "We are as okay as we can be," about the team's prospect of retaining the championship.
This is the second of a three-year sponsorship deal with GraceKennedy.

Tickets for today and tomorrow will cost $200 for adults and $50 for children. Grandstand tickets on Friday will be $1,100 and $350 for Bleachers, while on Saturday tickets will cost $1,500 for Grandstand and $700 for Bleachers.