Petrona Layne

FORMER Girls' Championship stars Holmwood Technical's Keno Heaven and Petrona Layne of Vere Technical played important roles recently in helping New Mexico Junior College in the United States to a good second-place finish at the Texas Technical Cross Country meet in Lubbock, Texas.

Competing alongside NCAA Division-One teams, New Mexico amassed 199 points to finish second behind home team Texas Technical which had a total of 180 points .

The 5K course was won in 17 minutes 14 seconds by Caroline Jepleting of New Mexico. It was a school record for the Kenyan-born athlete and it also ranked her as one of the top collegiate runners in the nation. It was the best-ever placing by New Mexico at a cross country meet and Layne, a sophomore who represented Jamaica at the Carifta Games finished 26th overall in 21 minutes 03 seconds.

Heaven, one of four former Holmwood Technical athletes at the institution, had a finishing time of 22 minutes 34 seconds in her first competition for her new school.

Heaven, who was a second-place finisher behind Manchester High's Natoya Goule at this year's Boys and Girls' Championships in both the 800 and 1500 metres events, is a freshman at the college. The other three Holmwood Technical athletes at the college, all freshmen, are Trudy Ann McLean, Loriann Clarke and Christina Bennett.