GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — AFTER their best season ever, Green Island High is setting their sights on a maiden trip to the 119th Penn Relays carnival set for April 24-27, at Franklin Fieldon the University at Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Led by IAAF World Youth Championships 100m gold medallist Odail Todd, Green Island had an outstanding year in the 4x100m relay and coach Michael McIntosh says he thinks his team is ready for the bright lights of the Penn Relays.

“We have been getting better as the year has progressed and we think we can go there (to Penn Relays) and be a factor,” he told Observer West earlier this week.

The Green Island Class 1 relay team ran a school record 40.09 seconds for third place at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys Champs in March behind Munro College and Kingston College, after winning at Gibson Relays in 40.18 seconds.

Earlier at the Milo Western Relays in mid-February, the team failed to defend its title as they were beaten to the line by Kingston College, clocking 40.37 seconds.

Green Island also won the Class 1 4x200m at Gibson Relays — the first time they were winning any event at the island’s premier relays meet.

They also scored 23 points at Champs, their highest placing ever, while winning five medals with just 16 boys entered in the five-day championships.

Before McIntosh and his team can leave for the Penn Relays, however, they are still short of the full budget, and is appealing for financial support.

“We have got some commitments already but we are still short and if anyone can come on board we would be appreciative, past students, well wishers, business people in Hanover…,” he told Observer West.

Green Island had planned to attend the world-famous meet last year, McIntosh said, but plans fell through as a number of people who had made financial commitments, failed to deliver.

“We hope this is not the case this year, as we are in advanced preparations,” said McIntosh, while supervising a training session on Monday, after spending several hours dealing with online visa applications.

“It would be great if we are able to make it this year, as we have a great group of boys who will represent Hanover with pride,” McIntosh said, pointing out that all the other western parishes — St James, Westmoreland, Trelawny and St Elizabeth — have all made their mark on the American meet.

McIntosh says Green Island plans to take eight boys, who would compete in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, as well as four adults.

The team is expected to be led by Todd and will include Chadwayne Vidal, Gremiko Whitelock, Kevarie Andrews, Romario Hall, Neno Symester, Rasheed Cunningham and Oshane Hylton.

The travel plans will see them leaving the island on Wednesday, April 24, as the team will compete on Friday and Saturday, McIntosh told the Observer West.

They have booked accommodation through the US-based group Team Jamaica Bickle that has been coordinating ground logistics for the dozens of Jamaican high school teams which have been participating at the Penn Relays for several years.