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After breaking a 10-year drought in 2021 by winning the Mortimer Geddes Trophy for their 22nd team title at the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships, Jamaica College (JC) are determined to reclaim the top spot. This comes after finishing runners-up for the past three years to defending champions Kingston College (KC), who have won the Boys' Champs title 33 times.

In 2021, JC scored 325.5 points, defeating Kingston College by 31.5 points. For the next three years, the scores were: KC 372 to JC's 300.83 in 2022; KC 366 points to JC's 299 in 2023; and last year KC won with 335 to JC's 278.

In their effort to improve, JC have made significant changes to their coaching programme. Last September, Dwayne Johnson was appointed the new head coach, replacing Neil Harrison, who led the team to victory in 2021.

Johnson, who has been an assistant coach specialising in middle and long-distance events at the institution for the past decade, expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

"I feel good being in this new position, knowing that your hard work over the years has been recognised," Johnson told STAR Sports at the recent Purewater R Danny Williams meet, which was held on the school's grounds. Being elevated to the top position and trusted in this role as head coach of one of the most prestigious high school track and field programmes in the country is something I take a lot of pride in."

Reflecting on the team's recent performances, Johnson emphasised that they are taking a different approach.

"To ensure we do much better, we've made changes starting this season. We're managing the talent we have, not just focusing on specific events but deploying talent across the board," he explained.

"Last year at Champs we won the most gold medals as a team, but winning Championships is not about medals. This is not the Olympics -- it's about scoring points. That's what matters. We're putting measures in place to avoid past mistakes, and we'll see how things go from there," he added.

The school has also bolstered its coaching staff, bringing in Rhansomme Edwards as the new sprint coach. Johnson praised the addition.

"Based on performances so far, I like what I'm seeing. This has been a real plus for us," he noted.

With Kingston College aiming for their 34th title in a year that marks their 100th anniversary, Johnson was asked about JC's chances of spoiling their celebrations.

"The truth is, I don't want to come across as arrogant or disrespectful to Kingston College's legacy over the years. It's their 100th anniversary, and they really want to win this one. But we're in it to win as well. We want to be there until the final event and see where the chips fall," said Johnson.sports@gleanerjm.com