Camperdown High School returned to the pinnacle of sprinting at the 126th annual Penn Relays when they copped the High School Boys 4x100m Championships of Americas title for the first time in 16 years on Saturday.
The quartet of Rimando Thomas, Junior Harris, Jason Lewis and Rashawn Clarke recorded 40.13 seconds for the win ahead of Jamaica College in 40.16 seconds, and St Jago High just back in 40.17 seconds for third place. Calabar High finished in fourth place as Jamaican schools occupied all but one of the nine places in the final.
It was Camperdown’s first success in this event in 16 years.
There was more success for Jamaica, as Kingston College captured the High School Boys’ 4x400m Championships of Americas title in commanding fashion.
Kingston College recorded 3:09.52 minutes to beat Bullis School which recorded 3:11.90 minutes and St Jago High who timed 3:12.09 minutes.
Kingston College were led by Amal Glasgow, Shaemar Uter, Emmanuel Rwotomiya and Marcinho Rose.
Jamaica College, the lone Jamaican entrant in the High Schools Boys 4x800m Championships of Americas event, duly obliged with a facile victory in front of a raucous, partisan Jamaica crowd, which included Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The Old Hope Road-based institution, parading Omarion Davis, Handal Roban, Kemarrio Bygrave and J’Voughnn Blake, posted a smart 7:28.38 minutes, number three on the all-time Penn Relays books, in their run-away victory.
Ridge finished in second place in 7:41.59 minutes, with West Springfield finishing in third place in 7:45.14 minutes.
Following a two-year break due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, -the highly-anticipated festival returned this year and as usual Jamaican schools and supporters dominated.
In addition to claiming a number of field events in the high schools category, Edwin Allen and Hydel High claimed success in the High School Girls 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m Championships of Americas titles.
