BANN’S ABSENCE COULD HAMPER KC’s TITLE CHARGE

All the experts seem to agree that Champs 2015 will be as close as it could ever be. The official Champs 2015 Preview, usually a solid guide as to how each individual event will pan out determined that Kingston College will unseat Calabar High by a mere two points – 306 to 304. It says Jamaica College will be third (206) while St. Jago (191) will finish fourth.

To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the point breakdown because I honestly felt that it was near impossible for one team to overcome an almost 100-point deficit from the previous year to win in the following year. However, track and field analyst and my friend Hubert Lawrence explained to me that what happens in one year has no bearing on what could happen in the next. He may be right; after all, he is the expert analyst.

Kingston College does look a lot stronger this year and under the guidance of Coach Neil Harrison, they will execute well. However, developments in the past few days could have an impact on the ultimate outcome. All things being equal KC is supposed to win by a point or two, but with Class 2 star Nathaniel Bann unable to take the field will that mean a loss of 13 -16 points for the North Street-based team?

It could. Bann was expected to be contender for a medal in the 400 metre run. No one expects him to beat Christopher Taylor but most of the pundits had penciled him him for the silver medal. His absence in that event and the 200m is going to cost KC 13 points and perhaps a higher place in the sprint or mile relays.

Similarly, Jevaughn Matherson is being favoured to win the Class 2 200 metres which is something I question, considering that he also has not been healthy and is coming back from overseas where he had gone to receive medical treatment. Had he been training while he was away? That we are not sure about. If he had been then good but if not, and he is hoping to get sharp enough to win a tough 200m over Taylor and Dejour Russell, via the rounds, it might prove to be an exercise in futility. Russell and Taylor are competition ready, razor sharp. Matherson might not be depending on the quality of preparation he was involved in during his time away.

If he is not ready, he could find the pressure of being favourite too much as his body might not be able to cash the check his head is writing and cost his team several crucial points in a close race for the title.

KC enter Champs as marginal favourites by I suspect the path to the title will be a lot more difficult without Bann and an under-prepared Matherson.