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Ferncourt's 12-year-old Rihanna Scott awed spectators at last Saturday's Pure Water/JC/R Danny Williams Development meet at Ashenheim Stadium with an astonishing 12.19 seconds clocking in the Class Four girls' 100 metres.

The former outstanding Rock Hall Primary athlete, in her high school debut, clocked a personal best and a meet record to be the fastest among her peers despite the presence of top athletes from Edwin Allen High and Hydel High.

According to Ferncourt's head coach Greg Scott, his talented athlete benefits from the hard work she has been doing at training. He claims that while he expected her to run faster during the season, he was not expecting the 12.19 seconds so early.

"Rhiana is in Grade 7. I got her from Rock Hall Primary. Her coach at primary school, Linker May, is now my assistant coach. He has been coaching her since she was five years old. She is an immense talent and will do superbly.

"If you know Rhiana Scott, she is fast. I didn't expect 12.1 yet, but I know she will run 11.8 this season. I am happy to know that the work we have been doing is paying off as we are seeing results," the coach said.

Scott is coming off a successful outing in her final year in primary school competition last season.

She ran a meet record of 13.24 seconds at the Insport Eastern Primary meet to beat Half-Way Tree Primary's Chelsean Samuels, who clocked 13.30. Scott finished in 12.97 for second position at the Insports Championships to St Patrick Primary's Daneilia Clarke, who did 12.90. Samuels finished third in 12.98.

She, however, ruled supreme at the Sagicor All-Island Championships, winning the 100 metres in 12.92 seconds to finish ahead of Clarke, who did 13.12.

Clarke is yet to make her high school debut for Edwin Allen and Samuels for St Jago High, and the expectations are that all three are expected to continue their fierce rivalry on the high school circuit and could bring sprinting at this level to new heights.

Scott and Samuels will compete at Saturday's JAAA Puma Anderson Fuller meet at GC Foster College, where they will contest the 200 metres. Clarke will not make her debut for Edwin Allen as she has not been entered for the meet.

Meanwhile, coach Scott is unperturbed about prominent track and field high schools hunting his talented star athlete, although Ferncourt lost two top girls' athletes in the past year to Hydel and Holmwood Technical High.

"I know that the Edwin Allens, the Hydels and the St Jagos will be coming, but we are not worried because of the excellent relationship the parents have with the school and the coaching staff," he said.