PHILADELPHIA, USA — Vere Technical were a surprise winner of the high school girls’ Championship of America’s 4x400m title, while Holmwood Technical won for the first time in three years as Jamaican girls won two of three relay titles on yesterday’s second day of the 119th Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

In front of 39,103 spectators, Vere Technical ran 3 minutes 36.72 seconds, the fifth-fastest ever at the Penn Relays.

It was, however, a day of bitter disappointment for Edwin Allen High, as they came into the day as red-hot favourites to sweep all three titles after dominating the heats on Friday’s opening day, while defending the 4x400m and 4x800m titles won last year.

They, however, left Franklin Field empty-handed for the first time in three years with three second-placed finishes. Edwin Allen were overwhelming favourites to win the 4x800m, the first relay final of the day, but a brilliant anchor leg from Colombia High’s Olivia Baker relegated them to second place in 8 minutes 56.86 seconds to the New Jersey School’s 8 minutes 56.37 seconds.

After two sub-par legs from Atara Segree (2:15.4) and Sanikee Gardner (2:17.0), Marleena Eubanks produced a stunning 2 minutes 07.4 second leg taking her team from fourth to give Edwin Allen a 50 m lead; Asshanni Robb’s 2 minutes 17.1 seconds leg, however, saw Baker catch her with about 250 metres to go and blow by her for victory.

After the race, coach Michael Dyke told the Jamaica Observer he was “very disappointed by the efforts” of the girls and blamed the first two runners, who he said if they had tried harder would not have left them in that position.

Dyke was still hoping for the best on the other two relays but, once again, came up short.

Johnson, who came in for Osheen Erskine, who ran in Thursday’s heats, joined Chanice Bonner, Yanique Thompson and Kedisha Dallas to produce the seventh-fastest time ever in the event at Penn Relays, as Edwin Allen once again played bridesmaid, running 45.15 seconds, while two-time defending champions Long Beach Poly of California placed third in 45.80 seconds.

Vere Technical were fifth and St Jago sixth, both credited with the same 46.19 seconds time, while St Andrew High were disqualified.

Wilson told the Observer the win was a fitting “farewell gift” for him as he was “stepping away” from the programme he had made into a national powerhouse with 10 ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Champs titles in 11 years “to give the other coaches a chance to prove themselves”.

Manchester High won the Small Schools consolation final in 47.09 seconds with the team of Areka Hanson, Recalia Maitland, Anna-Kay West, and Sidney Marshall.

St Elizabeth Technical were fourth and St Hugh’s seventh.

With Shericka Jackson not eligible to run here, Vere Technical were not given much of a chance to win after breaking records at Gibson Relays and Girls’ Champs, but Olivia James, who led the team in Jackson’s absence, said they never doubted their chances.

“After we ran at the UTech Classics last week we knew we stood a good chance,” she told the Observer, dedicating their 11th victory, the most by any high school here, to long-time coach Constantine Haughton.

With 15 victories in the 4x100m, as well as several in the 4x800m and Distance Medley Relays, Vere Technical girls have won 37 Championships of Americas plaques.

Coach John Mair, who is in his first season with Vere, gambled big and it paid off; sending James, who ran a 52.9-second split, and Andrenetta Knight, who ran 55.3 seconds, his best two runners on the first two legs and they managed to get away from the field, except for Edwin Allen, who showed dogged determination, and held on gamely.

Derri-Ann Hill (55.6 seconds) and Yanique McNeil (52.9 seconds) completed the job for Vere Technical as Edwin Allen finished in 3 minutes 37.55 seconds, with Holmwood Technical third in 3 minutes 38.09 seconds for a Jamaica clean sweep of the top three places.

St Jago High and St Elizabeth Technical were also in the race, but finished further back.