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It’s a mild surprise that Don Quarrie,
the 1976 Olympic 200m champion,
is among the sprinters Matherson
rates, but then he makes it easy
to understand. “The 200 metres
connection”, he explains, “that may
be it and a lot of people always told
me that I have similar traits to Donald
Quarrie.”
“Because of that, I’ve always watched
back his videos”, he says with obvious
admiration, “and I’m really impressed
by him.”
Nevertheless, he takes pride in the
Class 3 sprint record he still holds, his
run of 10.85 seconds in the 100m.
“To look back at all those who have
come before and to know that I’m the
best out of all of those athletes,” he
evaluates, “it’s a great privilege to be up
there with them.”
He knows fans are looking forward
to his meeting with the outstanding
Chris Taylor of Calabar in this year’s
Class 1 200m. He is anticipating what
he thinks will be ‘an exciting race.’ “I’m
just hoping to go out there and do my
best and hopefully I’ll get the victory”,
he says in his quiet voice.
With Taylor producing fast times of
20.98 and 20.59 seconds, winning
won’t be easy but Matherson, an
aspiring criminal lawyer, has never
been in better shape. KC head coach
Neil Harrison has made him stronger
with 400 metre running. The lad
set a personal best of 48.56 seconds
this season at the Western Relays, he
logged his best ever 4x400m split time,
47 seconds flat.
“He is not the Matherson of yesterday”,
Harrison says. “Pretty much, he’s much
more mature, much more receptive
to my philosophy and my principles
of coaching.” Referring specifically to
the extra 400m work Matherson has
done, the coach says, “this should show
a significant improvement as related to
his speed and speed endurance.”
Matherson, a Class 3 400 metre finalist
in 2012, concurs. “With the work,
it does show that I’ve gotten really
stronger”, he agrees, “and I do feel it in
training and I do feel it in competition.”
“I actually do feel faster”, he surmises.
He has only run the 200m once
this season but has shown that in
addition to increased endurance, his
speed is coming around nicely. He
clocked 10.25 seconds to win at the
Carifta Trials.
Harrison thinks the 2016 World
Junior 100 metre semi-finalist could
be brilliant in this event as well. “I’ve
always said to him, especially my
first time here at Kingston College,
seeing him in training”, recounts the
coach, “that he could be one of the
first schoolboys to break sub-10 and
I really believe that with all my heart
but I think that the kind of work to
get him to that area, he works hard
but to go beyond that, he’s a bit
afraid of the kind of pain that comes
with it. If he mentally prepares
himself, then that is possible.”
Perhaps that will come next year
as Matherson expects to stay at
Kingston College for the 2017 - 2018
school year. Then he will seek a
US college scholarship to further
his education. “Hopefully I’ll being
doing track and field after that
tenure”, he forecasts.
Harrison expects Matherson to do
well at Champs. “He’s a competitor
and one thing I am sure of, he’s not
afraid of anybody”, Harrison says.
“He likes the limelight”, he continues,
“and the limelight tends to bring out
the best out of him and I think come
2017, he will make some surprise.”
Matherson’s viewpoint is typically
measured. “I just want the fans to
enjoy the Championships”, he says
honestly. Citing what he called ‘a
special vibe’ in the Kingston College
camp, he says, “we think that this
one will be special and personally, I
view every race at Championships
as the same. It’s all the same amount
of points and what I personally go to
Championships is to do to deliver
each year.”
“Fanfare is nice”, he concludes, “but
points are even nicer.”
All Time Top 100m Performances
Name School Time Year
Zharnel Hughes Kingston College 10.12s 2014
Jevaughn Minzie Bog Walk High 10.16s 2014
Nigel Ellis
St. Elizabeth Technical
10.18s 2016
Yohan Blake St Jago High 10.21s 2007
Tesfa Latty St George’s College 10.24s 2004
Raheem Chambers St Jago High 10.25s 2016
Yohan Blake St Jago High 10.27s 2008
Delano Williams Munro College 10.28s 2013
Remaldo Rose Camperdown High 10.30s 2006
Dexter Lee Herbert Morrison 10.31s 2009
Nickel Ashmeade St Jago High 10.34s 2008
Nickel Ashmeade St Jago High 10.37s 2009
Jhevaughn Matherson Kingston College 10.37s 2016
Raheem Robinson Wolmer’s Boys 10.37s 2014
Delano Williams Munro College 10.37s 2012
Martin Manley St Jago High 10.38s 2014
Rudolph Mighty Jamaica College 10.39s 1992
Jazeel Murphy Bridgeport High 10.39s 2012
Marvin Anderson St Jago High 10.40s 2002
Waseem Williams Jamaica College 10.40s 2014
Michael O’hara Calabar High 10.42s 2015
Winners since the start of the millennium
Name School Time Year
Omar Brown Albert Town High 10.61s 2000
Marvin Anderson St Jago High 10.40s 2001
Steve Mullings Vere Technical High 10.55s 2002
Tesfa Latty St George’s College 10.24s 2003
Kevin Stewart St George’s College 10.49s 2004
Remaldo Rose Camperdown High 10.54s 2005
Remaldo Rose Camperdown High 10.30s 2006
Yohan Blake St Jago High 10.21s 2007
Yohan Blake St Jago High 10.27s 2008
Dexter Lee Herbert Morrison 10.31s 2009
Julian Forte Wolmer’s Boys 10.49s 2010
Jazeel Murphy Bridgeport 10.48s 2011
Delano Williams Munro College 10.37s 2012
Delano Williams Munro College 10.28s 2013
Zharnel Hughes Kingston College 10.12s 2014
(RECORD)
Michael O’hara Calabar High 10.42s 2015
Nigel Ellis
St Elizabeth Technical
10.18s 2016
Michael O’hara Calabar High 10.42s 2015
HUBERT LAWRENCE has
attended Champs since 1980.
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