A real Champs veteran and KC fan

Jean Sutherland is celebrating her 44th year of attending the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships.

She first came to Champs to watch the distinguished Marlene Ottey, who attended her alma mater, Rusea's High School, compete but it is the spirit of her adopted school Kingston College that has kept her coming back.

"Everybody knows me as 'Ms KC," Sutherland told STAR Sports on the first day of the 2019 staging of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships. "I am a Rusea's High old Girl and I started coming to Champs when Marlene Ottey started participating and then I am connected to KC because my nephew used to attend to KC, my adopted brother used to attend KC and because of this I start to support the school."

She continued: "There is something about the KC spirit. We never give up and I just love track and field. I go everywhere with the Jamaica teams and I have been going to Penn Relays from 1991."

Sutherland's love for 'the purples' has also infected her long-time friend Evritta Gardner, who started to attend Champs from 1979.

"My friend Jean is an ardent KC supporter and I gradually started supporting KC because of this. I like the spirit of KC, whether they are winning or not the spirit is still high," she said. "I love track and field and I like the fierce competition at Champs every year."

Sutherland and Gardner are hoping that the boys from North Street can end their nine-year wait to lift the Mortimer Geddes trophy again.

"I am very hopeful this year. I can feel it from the performances at the development meets," Sutherland said.

Gardner said: "They won the football this school year and I am hoping that the track team can follow suit."