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Nine-time ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs) girls winners, Edwin Allen, will, for the first time, participate on Saturday at the Wesley Powell Benjamin Over-distance Meet at Excelsior, which is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m.

The Michael Dyke-coached Edwin Allen will join winners of the boys' section of Champs, Kingston College, in the more than 1,000 athletes on show. Among the other schools that will participate are Wolmer's Boys' School, Wolmer's Girls' School, Camperdown High, St Jago High, Cornwall College and Munro College.

Coaches will get an opportunity to gauge their athletes' progress going into the upcoming season at the meet, as it celebrates a milestone this year, and chief organiser David Riley is enthused.

"I am very excited about our 20th staging of the meet. We will honour our Excelsior alumni, as we expect all kinds of 'Eagles' to descend on the campus. We continue to have good participation from the various schools, providing meaningful competition in over-distance events for coaches and their charges," said Riley.

"We are happy to play our part in the development of the sport in Jamaica, with meaningful competition towards what is expected to be a busy season, and we are pleased for that.

"We are also happy with the support from the various sponsors, and we want them to get value for their money in being associated with the meet, as we expect to have a great day," he continued.

Meanwhile, Coach Dyke is looking forward to a good showing from Edwin Allen, who were dethroned of their title this year by Hydel High after winning consecutively for eight years.

"We will take about 30 athletes to the meet, mainly from our Class Four group. This will be good exposure for them and, also, after many disruptions in our training sessions because of the weather and with the ISSA Championships being early next year, this will be a good experience for them," said Dyke.

Events to be contested on the track include 150 metres, 300 metres, 600 metres, 1,000 metres, 3,000 metres, 5,000 metres, 4x300 metres Open, and 4x300 metres mixed relay Open for primary schools.

There will be long jump, high jump, shot put, javelin and pole vault on the field.