IT IS almost safe to say that barring any accidents, Springer Memorial will win their fifth consecutive title in the Barbados Secondary Schools' Athletics Championships by tomorrow evening.

Although they can't ignore The Lodge School and Queen's College who are hot on their heels, the size of the lead they have opened up is usually enough to see them home. All they have to do is keep adding the points.

Even with the no-show by Shadir Greene, the defending champions have what it takes to retain their title. Based on last week's qualifying, they have two qualifiers going into each of the 800 metres races for all age groups, while only two runners failed to make it in the 200 and 400 metres and one each in the 100 metres and 80 metres hurdles. However, they were disqualified in the open girls' 4x400 metres and the Under-15 girls' 4x100 relays.

Predicting the winner of the boys' division gets harder to do every year. Harrison College have a bigger lead than they did at this time last year, but with some holes in the sprinting department, it may be a question of whether they can hold on.

The majority of their points come from the field events, but with only seven finals remaining, it is left to be seen whether the boys have what it takes, and can fight to the finish. One thing they have going in their favour which they didn't have last year, is that seven of the eight qualifiers are through to the next round of the 800 metres and they will also pick up points
in the 1 500 metres and the hurdles.

Their biggest threats are Queen's College,
The Lodge School
and Ellerslie.

The Lodge School and Ellerslie both have holes in some divisions while Queen's College seem to have more depth with both of their qualifiers advancing in most areas. They are also very strong in the hurdles and all five relay teams survived last week's madness.

Combermere, Princess Margaret, Foundation,
The St Michael School
and Alleyne School
are not as strong
as in previous years,
but St Leonard's Boys', Garrison Secondary, Coleridge and Parry,
St James and Lester Vaughan School will all be in the mix, splitting up those valuable points.

The day's events
get under way at 9 a.m. today with the
opening ceremony.