FRANKLIN FIELD, Philadelphia: Jamaica's schoolboy competitors are back at one of track and field's familiar venues today, as the 130th Penn Relays moves through its second day at Franklin Field Stadium in Philadelphia. A rotation put in place in 2023 means the boys, who competed across the opening two days last year, will instead be in action today and tomorrow.
The first event involving Jamaican teams is the boys' Championships of America 4x800 metres preliminary round. Edwin Allen, Jamaica College (JC), Petersfield and St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) are entered for heat one, which is due off at 8 a.m. Jamaica time. Kingston College (KC) are slated for heat two at 8:20 a.m., while Calabar High and Alphansus Davis will also carry Jamaican hopes in that block of races. The 12 fastest schools will advance to tomorrow's final.
There will also be heavy Jamaican representation in the Championships of America 4x400m relay heats, with only the top nine times earning places in Saturday's final. Maggotty, Sydney Pagon, St Andrew Technical High School and Tacius Golding are listed as the first Jamaican entrants at 9:20 a.m. Manchester High are set to run at 10:40 a.m., before the majority of the other local schools appear from 11 a.m. Defending champions Calabar High are among the leading names, along with JC, KC and highly fancied Excelsior High.
Mona High, Munro College, Petersfield High, Port Antonio High, STETHS, St Catherine High, St Mary High, Vere Technical, William Knibb and Wolmer's Boys' are also scheduled for the 4x400m.
Jamaica will have further chances for medals in the field, where two athletes who won titles last year return. JC's Michael Andre Edwards and Edwin Allen High's Addison James are both back to defend their crowns.
Edwards, fresh from wins at the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships and the Carifta Games in Grenada, is down for the Championships of America triple jump final at 8:30 a.m. KC's Rekelme Hunter and Demario Clarke, Calabar High's Khaleel Samuels and Antonio Anderson, and Wolmer's Boys' competitor Kebika Thomas are also in that event.
James will go after another javelin title when that final starts at 9 a.m. In the discus, JC's Joseph Salmon, who placed second last year, will be aiming to climb one spot after claiming major victories at Champs and the Carifta Games. The discus begins at 8 a.m., with KC's Dejaun Budhai and Dylan Logan, as well as Calabar's Deandre Henry and Kamari Kennedy, expected to be part of Jamaica's main challenge.
STETHS jumper Santino Distin leads the Jamaican group in the boys' high jump final at 8:30 a.m., where KC's Tejahni Jeynes and Michael Neil are also listed. The long jump final is also scheduled for 8:30 a.m., with JC's Javier Cato and Petersfield's Svein Lawrence among the entrants.
Syndicated from Jamaica Star · originally published .