FRANKLIN FIELD, Philadelphia: Jamaican female athletes opened the 130th Penn Relays with two field-event victories and two runner-up finishes at Franklin Field in Philadelphia yesterday.
Clarendon College's Marla Kay Lampart took the high school girls Championship of America shot put, while Hydel's Zavien Bernard secured the triple jump crown. Both athletes saved their best efforts for the sixth and final round.
Lampart, who had been dealing with a shoulder problem throughout the season, returned to winning form with a 14.41-metre throw. Sage Cruickshank of Convent of Mercy, Alpha placed seventh in the shot put with 12.61m.
Bernard's winning triple jump measured 12.76m, helped by a +3.1 metres-per-second wind reading. Holmwood Technical's Mikayla Longmore finished fifth after jumping 12.31m.
Clarendon College's Jamelia Young and Immaculate Conception's Zoelle Jamel each earned silver medals in their events. Young recorded 49.07m in the high school girls discus, with Edwin Allen's Dionjah Shaw close behind in third at 48.87m. Hydel's Brandane Malcolm was fourth with 45.87m, while Immaculate's Jada Francis placed eighth with 42.47m.
Jamel threw 48.84m in the javelin to finish second. Ava Flicker of Perkiomen Valley High School in Pennsylvania won the event with 49.51m.
On the track, Edwin Allen, the defending 4x100m Championship of America winners, advanced as the quickest qualifiers for today's final after taking their heat in 45.63 seconds. They are set to start from lane six in the 1:15 p.m. Jamaica-time final.
Three more Jamaican schools also reached the 4x100m final. St Jago High qualified fourth overall after winning their heat in 45.73, Excelsior High were seventh with 46.03, and Mount Alvernia High were eighth with 46.35. St Jago will run from lane nine, Mount Alvernia from lane one, and Excelsior from lane three.
Bullis High and Pennsauken High of New Jersey led the United States qualifiers, each posting 45.68 seconds.
In the day's first event, the 4x800m, four Jamaican teams progressed to today's 5:25 p.m. final. Sydney Pagon High headed the local group as the second-fastest qualifiers, winning their heat in 9:01.33. Edwin Allen followed in the same race with 9:02.66, good enough for third overall.
Alphansus Davis also won their heat, clocking 9:08.30 to qualify sixth fastest. Holmwood advanced as the ninth-fastest qualifiers after placing third in their heat in 9:14.80.
William Penn High of Pennsylvania produced the best qualifying time, winning their heat in 8:56.14. Florida-based IMG Academy, the defending champions, won their heat in 9:05.28 and entered the final as the fourth-fastest qualifiers.
Edwin Allen added another final berth in the 4x400m by winning their heat in 3:39.56, the second-best qualifying time for today's 4:55 p.m. final. Defending champions Hydel High, chasing a fifth straight title, led all qualifiers with 3:39.55. Holmwood, with 3:39.82, and Alphansus Davis, with 3:44.81, are the other Jamaican teams through to the final.
Syndicated from Jamaica Star · originally published .