Penn Relays Update: Girls bow into action Friday as boys poised to land more awards
Jamaican schools appear set to continue their dominance of the High Schools Boys’ relays on Friday’s second day of the 127th Penn Relays inside Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Despite the disqualification of defending champions Jamaica College (JC) in the High School Boys 4x800m relay heats on Thursday’s opening day, Kingston Co9llege (KC) and St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) made progress to Friday’s Championship of Americas title decider.
JC finished their heats in first place but was disqualified for using the services of an ineligible athlete, Nicholas Power who had transferred from Calabar High School earlier this season.
He was ineligible to compete for his new school in the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Championships and accordingly, the Penn Relays rules state that athletes who are ineligible for their national or state championships are also ineligible to compete at the Penn Relays.
In the High School Boys 4x400m heats, Jamaica qualified five teams – Calabar, KC, Edwin Allen, St Jago, and STETHS – to Friday’s Championship of Americas event, which will feature nine teams.
And in the High School Boys 4x100m Championships of Americas event slated for Friday, six of the nine finalists are from Jamaica. They are JC, Camperdown, STETHS, KC, Wolmer’s, and St Jago. The other finalists are IMG Academy, Archbishop John Carroll, and Mallard Greek.
Meanwhile, the girls will bow into action today with competition in the High School Girls 4x800m, and the 4x100m relay heats, as well as the Distance Medley Relay Championship of Americas.
They will also contest the field events Championships which include the discus, shot put, long and high jumps, and triple jump.
Friday’s Schedule
9:12 am High School Girls’ 4x800m relay heats – Edwin Allen, Alphansus Davis, Hydel
9:23 am High School Girls’ 4x800m relay heats – Holmwood Tech
11:15 am High School Girls’ 4x100m relay heats – Edwin Allen, Alpha Academy, Camperdown, Excelsior, Tacius Golding, Holmwood Tech, Holy Childhood, Hydel, Immaculate Conception, William Knibb, Manchester High, Merl Grove, Mount Alvernia, Petersfield, Port Antonio, Rhodes Hall, St Catherine, STETHS, St Jago, St Mary, Vere Technical, Wolmer’s Girls
1:40 pm High School Boys’ 4x100m Championship of Americas
4:20 pm High School Boys’ 4x400m Championship of Americas
4:25 pm High School Girls’ Distance Medley Championship of Americas – St Jago
5:50 pm High School Boys’ 4x800m Championship of Americas
Field Events
9:00 am High School Girls’ Discus Throw Championship
9:30 am High School Girls’ Shot Put Championship
9:30 am High School Girls’ Long Jump Championship
9:30 am High School Girls’ Triple Jump Championship
9:30 am High School Girls’ High Jump Championship
