PHILADELPHIA, United States — Super athlete Michael O’Hara led Calabar to two High School Championship of America titles, while the University of Technology (UTech) continued their impressive showing as Jamaicans once again had a lot to cheer about on the final day at the 121st Penn Relay Carnival at Franklin Field in Pennsylvania.

O’Hara, who convinced a Pennsylvania court to grant an injunction barring the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) from blocking his participation in the High School section of the meet at the 11th hour on Thursday, produced a splendid second leg and propelled Calabar to a record 39.63 seconds in the 4×100, dipping below Jamaica College’s 39.72 set last year. The quartet of Zandre Blake, O’Hara, Jullanie Walker and Seanie Selvin held off St Jago, who were second in 39.89 seconds. St George’s College were third with 40.17 seconds. Kingston College (KC) who went into the final with the fastest time, saw their hopes dashed when Akeem Bloomfield pulled up on the second leg, and although he was able to hand over the baton, the ‘Purples’ failed to finish the race.

O’Hara then anchored Calabar to an easy victory in the 4x400m in 3:09.97 minutes, cruising to a 46.68-second leg, which was actually the third fastest on the Calabar team. Akeem Francis (46.3) and Renado Wilson (46.57) did enough for O’Hara to run a relaxed and controlled leg to victory.

In the collegiate section, howling favourites UTech with Andrew Fisher, Julian Forte, Kemarley Brown and Tyquendo Tracey retained their 4x100m title in 39.27 seconds ahead of Texas A&M with 39.56 seconds. GC Foster were third in 40.26 seconds.

Forte returned for his second championship crown, anchoring UTech to an easy win in the 4x200m in 1.20.97 minutes, easing down at the finish ahead of GC Foster in 1:23.02 minutes. In fact, the UTech quartet of Forte, Andrew Fisher, Kemarley Brown and Kavean Smith went faster than the Jamaican team of Jermaine Brown, Rasheed Dwyer, Jason Livermore and Oshane Bailey, that finished second to the Americans in 1:21.45 minutes earlier.

The Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Jason Livermore and Asafa Powell clocked 38.88 seconds to finish second to the Americans in 38.66 seconds. The Americans were led by a magnificent second-leg run by Justin Gatlin, who blew away Frater in no uncertain manner, leaving Asafa Powell with too much to do on the anchor leg, as Ryan Bailey held on fairly comfortably.

“I felt good, but it wasn’t a good run for us. I don’t know what happened on the first two legs, but I did my part. I feel good,” said Powell.

“It is always good to represent my country. I have been doing that from day one, there is no regrets and I will continue to represent until I retire from the sport,” he added. “I am in pretty good shape. I am training very hard and I felt good out there,” said Powell, who believes he is in sub-10 shape right now.

Meanwhile, Marvin Williams of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) got the final day off on a winning note for Jamaica, capturing the 400m hurdles High School Championship in 51.10 seconds. Williams’ time is the fourth fastest in Penn Relays history. The record is 49.38 seconds done in 2002 by Kenneth Ferguson of Mumford. Rai Benjamin of Mount Vernon, out of New York, was second in 51.29, with KC’s Orlando Smith fifth in 53.13 seconds.

“The conditions were not good but I am happy with the time. The guy (Benjamin) outside of me is very good, so I had to go out fast and not wait on the last 100m,” said Williams, the World Youth 400m hurdles champion.

The school from Santa Cruz picked up four more winning watches for their triumph in the High Schools Championship of America 4x800m. STETHS outbattled KC to the line in 7:38.38 minutes to 7:38.54. It took a courageous 1:52.18-minute anchor leg by Class Two athlete Jauavney James to hold on from Twayne Crooks, who also did well with a 1:52.71-minute split.

Paul Tate also had a superb second leg for STETHS with 1:52.84 minutes. The Championship victory was STETHS’s seventh overall, but their first since 1996 and they remain the most successful Jamaican school in this event.

STETHS’s head coach Eldemire Smith said he was always confident and was elated to end a 19-year drought. “This is our seventh title and I am glad I am here for it. I hope this is the beginning for about 10 or more,” said Smith.