Harriott receives Fuller/Anderson Scholarship

Michae Harriott is this year’s recipient of the Fuller/Anderson Scholarship. The announcement was made at this year’s launch of the JAAA/PUMA/Fuller/Anderson Development meet at the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport on Wednesday.

The one-year scholarship, valued at $100,000, is eligible to student athletes in their final year of high school, heading to the GC Foster College, as that is the only ­institution where it is tenable.

Organising committee member Chester McCarthy describes Harriott as a “standout athlete in high school.”

“She attended Holmwood Technical and she participated for six years, and every year she would be a participant at the Kirkvine meet,” he said. “She would not necessarily have won every single year, but winning at the meet is not necessarily a criteria. You must be a consistent performer.”

GREAT FEELING

Harriott says earning the scholarship is “a great feeling” because it will encourage her further to her dream. At GC Foster, she will be under the tutelage of Sprintec Track Club head coach Maurice Wilson, who will seek to have her qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in the 100m and the 200m sprints.

Wilson, who is the chairman of the organising committee for today’s meet, to be held at the Kirkvine Sports Club in Mandeville, Manchester, has high expectations.

“This year is going to be a very exciting year for track and field, especially at Kirkvine,” he said. “It is the start of a decade and so we expect the performances to be great. It’s an Olympic year. The weather is cool. The atmosphere is very exciting, very peaceful. The crowd is very supportive of track and field and so we expect the ­performances should be great based on all of these things.”

Meet director Jerry Holness said preparations are on target.

“Our starting time is at 9 a.m. and we are destined to start at 9 a.m. sharp, regardless of which school is there we are going to start on time. We start the ­morning with the 3000m for females, followed by the 5000m for males, and then we move on to the 200m, then the 800m and then we finish off the day with the 400m boys and girls, male and female clubs and institutions, all classes.”