Natoya Goule of Manchester High (centre) is off on the final leg of the 4x400m. Goule piloted her school to victory in 3:38.38.

There were quality performances, thrills and spills at the 2009 Gibson Relays held on Saturday, February 28, at the National Stadium.

As many as 14 records were broken before a packed late-evening house at the nation's premier sporting venue.

World 100 metres and 200 metres record-holder Usain Bolt dazzled his adoring fans with a scorching last leg to push the Racers Lions Track Club to a very impressive 38.10 record run in the 4x100m for clubs and institutions. Racers Track Club were second in 38.48, as the first two past the line went under the 38.70 set by the High Performance Centre in 2007. The race was a personal triumph for veteran Glen Mills, the coach of both the winners and the runners-up.

Among the high schools, the undoubted overall stars were defending inter-secondary girls' champions, the Maurice Wilson-coached Holmwood Technical. Holmwood dominated the sprint relays, winning three and placing second in the other.

records broken

They won classes Two, Three and Four and were second in Class One which was won by Edwin Allen High. Holmwood's Class Four 4x100m quartet wrote their names in the record books, winning in 47.49, beating the 48.10 set by Manchester High in 2004.

Led by the promising middle-distance runner Natoya Goule, Manchester High won the 4x800m (8:49.01) and 4x400m (3:38.38). Vere Technical, inspired by Jura Levy, produced a record run, 1:34.73, to win the 4x200m Open.

Calabar High lived up to expectations when they destroyed their rivals to post a record 39.95 in the Class One 4x100m to become the first school team to go below 40.00 seconds at the Gibson Relays. They ended the event almost a second ahead of St Jago High (40.92). St Jago set the previous mark, 40.07, in 2007.

Kingston College, St George's College, and Wolmer's Boys were also in record-breaking moods at the meet, dubbed the Caribbean's most prestigious relay carnival.

KC won the Class Four 4x100m in 45.88, beating the 46.03 they set in 2007. St George's romped to victory in the Class Three 4x200m in 1:31.52, going under the 1:31.55 set by KC in 2006.

Wolmer's clocked 1:28.11 in the Class Two 4x200m to smash the 1:28.43 set by KC in 2005.

Other relay record breakers were Jamtech Masters, 44.77, in the 4x100m; Naggo Head, 52.39 in the 4x100m for Primary Under-12 girls; Hydel, 49.84, for Prep School Boys Under-12 and Lannaman's 31.88 for Under-10 Prep.

In individual events, Tanice Barnett of Royalty Track Club clocked 5:00.10 for the mile, beating the 5:04.20 she set last year; K'Don Samuels of Jamaica College cleared 4.40m to erase the 4.20m held since 1990 by KC's Mark Godfrey; and Jermaine Jackson of the MVP Track Club did 7.72m in the men's long jump to beat the 7.70m mark Herbert McGregor set in 2007.

Calabar High's Ramone McKenzie powering home on the final leg of the Class One 4x200m. Calabar won in 1:24.76. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Kingston College's 4x400m Open high-school boys winning quartet (from left): Rolando Berch, Keiron Stewart, Akino Ming and Andre Peart. KC won the event in 3:09.38. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

Manchester High School's 4x800 quartet pose for the camera after winning the event at the 33rd staging of the Gibson Relays. They are (from left) Kimberly Brown, Neisha Morgan, Sharlene Brown and Natoya Goule. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

MVP Track Club's Ryan Lawrence wins the men's mile in 4:19.39 over IT DAT's Kevin Campbell. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

Students from St Andrew High School having a grand time in the bleachers during the 33rd Gibson Relays at the National Stadium. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer