By Dania Bogle Writing for BBC Caribbean from Kingston, Jamaica

	Dexter Lee clocked 10.31 seconds in the junior 100m

Jamaican high school track and field conquered.

Watched by more than 40 international journalists; a contingent from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF); some of athletics’ best known names; sports agents, and a capacity crowd at the National Stadium, Jamaica’s most promising young athletes put on a good show over four days at the country’s Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships.

Reigning World and Youth champion, Dexter Lee, pulled away from the field mid-race, clocking a smart 10.31 seconds (0.1 m/s) to win the boys’ Class One (under-20) 100m ahead of Nickel Ashmeade (10.37).

A World Junior 200m silver medallist himself, Ashmeade was defying the odds. No one who saw him in action on Saturday’s final day would have known the teenager broke his right forearm six weeks before the Championships.

Ashmeade later clocked 21.06 seconds for third in the 200m behind World Youth champion, Ramone McKenzie, who captured the 200m/400m double.

McKenzie – sporting his latest gimmick, a ‘Batman’ mask - timed 20.66 for gold in the 200m and later posted 46.88 for victory in the 400m.

The Ashmeade/McKenzie duel reached fever pitch during the final event of the Championships - the 4x400m Relay Open.

Unfortunately, McKenzie suffered cramps to his hamstring during the crucial anchor leg as Ashmeade powered his team to victory in 3:12.44 with McKenzie two places behind (3:13.78).

World junior bronze medallist, Keiron Stewart, in his last season before heading to pursue studies at the University of Texas, clocked 13.79secs to retain the 110m hurdles title, adding to the 400m hurdles (51.14) crown he earlier won.

Sixteen year old Ashinia Miller threw a championship record and World Youth Champs qualifying 17.41m to win the Class Two (under-18) Shot Put.

Bolt focus

The IAAF contingent was in the island producing the feature ‘A Day in the Life’ of triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.

The 100m/200m world record holder himself was inside the National Stadium cheering on his favourite team, signing autographs and hamming it up in his usual playful manner.

The yearly response to the championships has become the stuff of legend, but those who had only ever heard about it, and were seeing it themselves for the first time, were left in awe.

US-Jamaica clash coming

Former 110m hurdles world record holder, Great Britain’s Colin Jackson, 1976 Olympics 100m champion Hasely Crawford, and 1996 Olympics 100m gold medallist Donovan Bailey, and 200m bronze medallist Ato Boldon, all expressed amazement at the mass response to what was happening on the track.

“This is the kind of atmosphere you want to compete in,” former two-time world champion, Jackson said.

Meanwhile, athletics officials from the USA and Jamaica have agreed that a proposed clash between the countries will take place in 2010 as an already packed calendar ruled out its possibility for this year.

Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association president, Howard Aris, was however quick to point out to BBC Caribbean that no details had yet been finalised.