‘Last-chance meet’ at G.C. Foster College

The G.C. Foster Classics meet manager Chester McCarthy says this year’s staging will be a ‘last-chance’ event for athletes preparing for the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs).

The meet is the final ISSA-sanctioned competition before the start of Champs and this is a very important fact for the event organisers.

According to McCarthy, this year’s staging has attracted a lot of student athletes who are yet to achieve the qualifying standards for Champs. The event will be their final opportunity to meet those requirements.

He also explained that several coaches view the track meet as the final step in their athlete’s preparations.

“It’s extremely important. This was initially developed as what is termed as a ‘last-chance meet’ and it really has worked out to be that this year because there is no other meet after this one before athletes proceed to the Boys and Girls’ Championships.

“So it is truly a ‘last-chance meet’ this year. It is extremely important to the track and field calendar because the athletes will now have this opportunity, for those that did not qualify prior to this weekend, to get that time or that distance for Champs.”

McCarthy said this year’s staging will see a record number of athletes competing at both the junior and senior levels with more than 2,000 athletes set to compete.

This, McCarthy said, accompanied by an increase in cash prizes, will see major improvements for the G C Foster Classics.

The prize money for winners in the senior category has increased from $500,000 to a new total of $900,000 due to sponsorship from the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Group.

Meanwhile, a scholarship valued at $200,000 will be awarded to a select high school athlete who will attend the G. C. Foster College for the next school year. This scholarship will be funded through a donation from PACE Electrical Works and Building Construction.

“It is also the biggest meet for the season because we now know that we have some 2,400 athletes scheduled to perform. The improvement in numbers in terms of participation is one, but we also have upped the amount of prize money that is given out in the senior category. Last year we had given away around $500,000 but this year, the total prize money is almost $900,000.

“We’re also giving a $200,00 scholarship to a high schooler who will come to G. C. Foster for the next school year and this was done by JMMB. The senior prize money was a donation through one of our main sponsors, PACE Electrical Works and Building Construction.”

The track meet is set to start today at 8 a.m. at the G. C. Foster College in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

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