PHILADELPHIA, USA — Jamaican high school girls are expected to dominate the field events on today’s first day of the 117th Penn Relays carnival at Franklin Field here in Philadelphia.

After winning just two field events last year, the expectations are for the number to double today with wins expected in the long jump, triple jump, high jump and discus throw events.

After her massive 6.52m effort at the ISSA/ GraceKennedy Girls Champs, 2010 champion Chanice Porter of Manchester High, should be a factor in the long jump today.

Minutes after taking an ice bath yesterday, Porter told the Jamaica Observer she was “confident” she could win today but said she was not expecting to match her personal best.

“The conditions will be cold and I don’t think I can jump that far when it is so cold,” the IAAF World Youth Championships gold medallist from last year said.

This will be Porter’s third competition this year after battling injuries from last year and she said she was “feeling a lot better”, and was almost completely over the injury.

Three other Jamaicans will be in the event, Opal James of St Elizabeth Technical, Jessicca Nobel of the Queens School and the Alpha

pair of Tatiana Wolfe and Kimberly Golding.

Vere Technical’s assistant coach Joseph Wilkie, who has charge of the team here told the Observer he thinks Shardia Lawrence should win the triple jump.

Sixteen-year-old Lawrence was second at Champs behind teammate Sabina Allen who did not make the trip, but Wilkie, says he was expecting her to jump in the 12.40m to 12.50m range, which he thinks should be good enough

to win.

The CARIFTA Under-17 silver medallist last year will have Alpha’s Shennell McKay to accompany her in the event.

Edwin Allen’s coach Michael Dyke is taking no chances and has thrown his top three discus throwers in the event here.

Sashagay Marston is the defending champion here but was left out of the event at Champs, as National Junior Record holder Tara-Sue Barnett and Danniell Thomas went on to claim gold

and silver.

The Edwin Allen trip are ranked at the top of the standings here and could be the first school to sweep the top three events in throwing in a number of years.

Jamaicans occupy the top five with St Jago’s Fayon Gonzales and St Hugh’s Devene Brown coming next, while Holmwood Technical’s Gleneve Grange and Venique Harris of St Andrew High are also down to take part.

Williamson, who finally won at Girls, Champs and Wolmer’s Girls Shanice Hall are ranked first and second here, while Krista Gay Taylor of Alpha, Sashane Hansen of Herbert Morrison, and Annastacia Forrester of Manchester are also down to take part.