Jamaican High Schoolers Set Three Records At New York International Showcase

Jamaica’s high school sprint stars shined last weekend.

Jamaican high school athletes set three national and facility records at the second New York International Showcase in Staten Island.

On Jan. 24, junior sprint star Shanoya Douglas, the Jamaica College’s boys’ 4×200m relay team, and the Hydel High’s girls’ 4×200m relay squad delivered record-breaking performances at the indoor meet held at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, the Jamaican Observer reports.

Douglas shattered her own national U-20 indoor 300m record, finishing in 36.98 seconds, well ahead of Breanne Barnett of Baldwin High (NY) who ran 38.08 seconds, and Rhia Randolph of West Orange High (NJ) who ran at 38.16 seconds.

Douglas, who transferred to Holland High from Muschette High to continue training with longtime coach Gary Smythe, also set a new facility record, surpassing Elise Cooper’s 37.32-second mark from the 2024 Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational.

“I did not know that I was running this fast. My aim was to run faster than I did last year,” she said, noting her national U-20 indoor record last year of 37.78 seconds in her indoor debut. “I am very happy.”

At the high school meet founded by Jamaican Olympian Sanjay Ayre, Jamaica College’s 4×200m relay team—DeAndre Gayle, Nathaniel Martin, Omary Robinson, and Makaelan Woods—made their country proud, winning in 1:25.54. They broke the facility record of 1:26.90 set by Calabar High last year and set a new national record, outpacing Danbury (CT) High (1:30.30) and Deptford (NJ) High (1:30.51).

Elsewhere, Hydel High’s girls’ 4×200m relay team of Sashana Johnson, Kevina Bourne, Nastassia Fletcher, and Shemonique Hazel set a national record of 1:36.56, smashing the previous facility mark of 1:40.00 from 2020. Shaker High (1:45.72) and East Stroudsburg South (1:46.49) finished second and third.

Other Jamaican highlights included Jamaica College’s Kai Kelly winning the boys’ 60m in 6.97 seconds, while DeAndre Gayle placed second in the boys’ 60m (6.87). Holland High’s Johan-Ramaldo Smythe took second in the boys’ 200m (21.18).

In the girls’ 60m, Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel was second at 7.61 and Kevina Bourne was runner-up in the girls’ 200m at 24.55.