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Following a below par performance at last Saturday's Gibson McCook Relays, defending inter-secondary girls' champions Edwin Allen High will face another acid test today and tomorrow at the Central Athletics Championships.

The Michael Dyke-coached team, the defending champions at the two-day meet, will come up against some heavyweight schools including title contenders for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs) girls' title, Holmwood Technical and Hydel High.

The meet which is being held at GC Foster College starts at 8:30 a.m.

It is expected, based on results at recent development meets, that there will be a close battle among the top three for the girls' title at Champs and performances at Central Champs will give some indication as to who will emerge champions. Central Championships has produced the national winning team for the past 45 years and Edwin Allen will be hoping to put things right over the next two days.

The top schools are well represented in all events at today's meet starting with the first track event, the 3000 metres open where Holmwood, led by Ugandan athlete Florence Nafamba, will take on the Edwin Allen duo of Sanyae Gibson and Sushana Johnson and Hydel's Kaydeen Johnson. St Jago High's Brittania Willis and St Catherine High's Serena Douglas should help to make this an exciting event.

One of the biggest clashes at the meet on today's opening day will see the red hot Rickiann Russell of Holmwood take on the classy Oneika McAnnuf of Hydel in the Class One 400m. Both athletes are in top form and a fast time is expected.

Today will also see World Under-20 100m silver medallist Serena Cole of Edwin Allen on show in Class One. The preliminary rounds and final of the 100m will be held today. Cole's teammate, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, the Champs Class Three defending double sprint champion will also feature today in the short sprint after recovering from a slight early season injury.

Also on the programme today will be timed finals in 400m hurdles, with finals in the 800m and all the 4x100m relays. In the field , the Class One girls discus final will be contested early today and the outstanding Cedricka Williams of Holmwood is a warm favourite.

On the boys' side, defending champions St Jago who have never lost at these championships should continue to dominate. However, they will be wary of Edwin Allen who have shown vast improvement over the past two seasons and their charge will be led by World Under- 20 400m finalist Delano Kennedy who will contest the Class One event at the meet.