A CLASS ABOVE

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ Championships-winning Coach Neil Harrison has thrown his support behind reported plans for the high school sports administrative body to introduce Class 4 boys’ competition at the annual track and field championships, although questions remain about the potential long-term developmental implications for younger athletes.

There have been persistent whispers that ISSA plans to introduce Class 4 boys at next year’s staging of the five-day championships, along with other changes.

Presently, there are three age classes for boys — Classes 1, 2 and 3 — unlike the girls, who compete across four age groups: Classes 1, 2, 3, and 4. For years, ISSA has resisted requests to add an age group for younger boys. The lowest class currently for boys, Class 3, includes athletes under the age of 13.