The 127th Penn Relays Carnival gets going on Thursday morning inside the Franklyn Field at the University of Pennsylvania with the High School Boys taking center stage instead of the girls.
The three-day event previously saw the girls highlighting the opening day with the boys’ getting into action on the second day, Friday.
As usual, just under 40 Jamaican high schools have journeyed to Philadelphia to parade their prodigious talents against their American counterparts, as well as others from Canada, the Caribbean and South Africa.
The boys will begin their quest to lift the Championship of Americas plaque and watch in the 4x800m relays in which Jamaica College is the defending champion.
The Old Hope Road-based institution will be joined by compatriots St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), Calabar, Kingston College (KC) and St Jago.
The 12 fastest teams from the heats qualify for the Championship of Americas Final slated for Friday at 5:50 pm.
Twenty Jamaican schools will contest the 4x100m relay heats with defending champion Camperdown High School being one of the top contenders in an event dominated by Jamaican schools over the years.
From the heats, the nine fastest teams will contest the Championship of Americas Final at 1:40pm on Friday, with the next nine teams contesting the International final.
The schools scheduled to contest the heats of the 4X100m relays are Wolmer’s, Edwin Allen, Calabar, Camperdown, Rhodes Hall, Fern Court, Tacius Golding, JC, KC, William Knibb, Herbert Morrison, Papine, Penwood, Petersfield, St Andrew Technical High School, St Catherine, STETHS, St George’s College, St Jago and Excelsior.
Meanwhile, 21 teams are down to contest the 4x400m relay heats, including defending champions KC.
And like 4×100 m relay heats, the nine fastest teams in 4x400m heats will contest the Championship of Americas final, with the next nine qualifying for the International Final.
In the field, Jamaican athletes appear set to dominate once again.
The JC pair of Zachary Campbell and Racqui Broderick, as well as Clarendon College’s Ricardo Hayles, Delano Bowen of Calabar and Petersfield’s Yekini Bowen have been entered to contest the shot put Championship.
KC’s Nathon Wade leads the pack in the long jump Championship, with Uroy Ryan of JC, Demario Prince of St Jago, and the Wolmer’s pair of Nando Meggs and Mark Phillips also in contention.
KC will be represented by Aaron McKenzie and Isaiah Patrick, and JC by Chavez Penn and Jaidi James in high jump competition, while the triple jump Championship will have the JC duo of Trevon Hamer and Euan Young; Cornwall College’s Kesean-Jordan Rhooms and Owen Bowers, as well as the Wolmer’s pair of Najhayne Watson and Darnell Nelson and KC’s Javar Thomas.
Thursday’s schedule
9:00 am High School boys’ 4x800m relay heats – STETHS
9:12 am High School boys’ 4x800m relay heats – Calabar
9:25 am High School boys’ 4x800m relay heats – JC
9:37 am High School boys’ 4x800m heats – KC, St Jago
12:04 pm High School boys’ 4x400m heats
Field Events
9:00 am High School boys’ discus throw Championship
9:30 am High School boys’ Shot Put Championship
10:00 am High School boys’ Long Jump Championship
10:00 am High School boys’ Javelin Throw Championship
10:00 am High School boys’ High Jump Championship
12:00 pm High School boys’ Triple Jump Championship
