Twenty-six high schools and five tertiary institutions from Jamaica will descend on The University of Philadelphia’s Franklin Field in less than 24 hours for the 2022 Penn Relays. The goal? Continue the “jamination’ of the longest-running high school, and collegiate track and field meet in the United States.
Absent for two years because of the covid-19 pandemic, the track, and field-hungry fans can look forward to the excitement at Franklin Field once again. Pre-pandemic, the stadium averages 105,000 spectators each year. If half of that total turns up this year, it would have been an achievement, considering the challenges facing schools and countries.
It has been fifty-eight years since Donovan Davis, on the urging of Herb McKennly, took his Kingston College track team to the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. That year the team returned to Jamaican soil with the 4×100 relay championship, won with a team comprising Jim Grant, Rupert Hoilette, Ken Keyes, and Lenox Miller.
Since then, Jamaica has dominated the Penn Relays with impressive wins and incredible records. So dominant has been Jamaica’s performance that many have suggested that Penn Relays would not be half as successful without the Jamaican supporters. Since 1963 Jamaica has won 186 relay events, awarded 37 athletes of the meet, and gotten 18 Wall of Fame Inductees. These figures exclude the numerous field events won by Jamaicans.
The trip to Penn Relays has become an annual pilgrimage for Jamaicans, not only in the United States but also in Canada and from the “sprint factory,” Jamaica.
The large crowd support of the black, green, and gold has become a centerpiece of Franklin Field. Jamaicans’ carnival spirit and loud cheers for their athletes provide a friendly rivalry with the rest of the world, made up of mostly Americans.
Jamaican athletes look forward to traveling to Philadelphia to display their talent every year. Apart from winning Penn Relay watches and medals, athletes get to show their skills in front of the focused eyes of college scouts, trying to find talented additions to their track and field teams.
The cost of achieving their dreams is not cheap, but the Jamaican flag keeps flying at Franklin Field each year through the support of many alums and private businesses. One organization that has invested tremendously each year in the desires of the Jamaican contingent is Team Jamaica Bickle. With dozens of volunteers and sponsors, the team creates the only athlete village at Penn Relays with the sole purpose of providing a home away from home for the athletes.
While the project started with assisting only Jamaicans, it has over the years included students from other Caribbean islands such as Trinidad, Bahamas, Grenada, US Virgin Islands, and Barbados. While at the village, the athletes are fed familiar food and are also given counseling and physical therapy. Some are even provided with accommodation arrangements.
Judging from the performances at the Boys and Girls Championships and the recent Carifta Games, fans at Franklin Field and particularly Jamaicans are in for a treat.
High schools going to Penn Relays:
Alphansus Davis, Bellefield, Calabar, Camperdown, Cornwall College, Edwin Allen, Excelsior, Herbert Morrison, Holmwood Tech, Hydel, Immaculate Conception, Jamaica College, Jonathan Grant, Kingston College, Munro College, Petersfield, Port Antonio, Rhodes Hall, St. Catherine
St. Elizabeth Tech, St. Jago, Tacius Golding, The Queen’s School, Vere Technical, William Knibb, and Wolmer’s Boys
Tertiary institutions attending Penn Relays:
GC Foster, Knox, Mico, Utech, and UWI.
