PHILADELPHIA, USA – Calabar High are poised to start their quest to be the most successful high school boys team at the Penn Relays when they get their participation in the 125th staging underway at Franklin Field in Philadelphia today.

Calabar High, who won a historic three relays – 4×100, 4x400m and 4x800m – last year, the first time in nearly 50 years the feat was achieved here, will lead a strong Jamaican delegation that includes ISSA Champs winners Kingston College, Jamaica College, Excelsior High, Camperdown High, Papine High, St Elizabeth and Rusea’s High.

Last year’s treble took Calabar’s tally to 20 titles, one less than New York’s Bishop Loughlin, who have not won a relay event here since 1981.

Today, the Jamaican boys will contest the preliminaries of the relays as well as discus throw, shot put, high jump and javelin championships.

Also today, Calabar’s IAAF World Under-20 Champion Kai Chang is expected to defend his discus throw title and extend the Jamaican run of winners to four-straight.

Despite their dominance last year with three records in the relays, Calabar will be challenged this year by Kingston College, Jamaica College and Excelsior High, all in the running to win championships.

Calabar will start favourites to win the 4x800m, but their chances in the shorter relays will hinge on the fitness of Christopher Taylor who was pulled at Champs after losing the 400m.

Kingston College will be the prohibitive favourites to win the 4x100m, while Excelsior could be dark horses to win the 4x400m.

Chang looks set to retain his discus throw title and will be joined by Daniel Cope of Petersfield High, Ralford Mullings of Kingston College, Lashaun Smith of St Elizabeth Technical, Travis Robinson of Jamaica College and Nathan Reid of Cornwall College.

Petersfield High’s Courtney Lawrence is the second-ranked thrower in the shot put where Aiden Felty of Innovation Academy from Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, while Carifta Games champion Cobe Graham of Calabar High are also expected to feature.

Calabar High’s Ricardo Clarke and Kingston College’s Louis Gordon are expected to challenge for the high jump title and extend the Jamaican dominance to nine years and 10 in the last 11 years but Shaun Miller, the Carifta Games Under-20 champion for The Bahamas is the number one-ranked athlete here.

Alex Williams of Kingston College, Tajay Bromfield of Jamaica College and Santino Anglin of Petersfield will also contest the javelin throw today.

– Paul Reid