Jamaican high school throwers highly ranked at Penns
PHILADELPHIA, United States — Jamaican high school athletes are expected to sweep the discus and shot put events for both boys and girls at the 127th staging of the Penn Relays Carnival that gets underway at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Holmwood Technical’s Cedricka Williams, who will defend the high school girls’ discus throw championship, is the number one ranked in the event, while Camperdown High’s Britannia Johnson, who was fourth last year, is the top ranked in the shot put.
In the high school boys’ section, Calabar High’s Kobe Lawrence, who was second in the shot put last year, is expected to finish one step higher in the event that will be held on the opening day, while Clarendon College’s Ricardo Hayles is favoured in the discus throw.
The Edwin Allen pair of Christopher Young and Trevor Gunzell had swept the shot put and discus titles last year and now Lawrence will seek to complete an unbeaten season in Under-20 competition and will also see St Jago High’s Shaiquan Dunn and Chavez Grey of William Knibb Memorial High.
Hayles, who was third at the recent high school championships, is ranked ahead of the Class 1 gold medallist Racquil Broderick of Jamaica College, while Calabar’s Delano Lawrence, Petersfield’s Yekini Bowen and Zachary Campbell of Jamaica College are to also line up.
Johnson, the Champs and Carifta champion, leads the shot put field that will also include Edwin Allen’s Rochele Solman and Immaculate Conception’s Juliet Smith.
Williams, who is ranked number three in the world, should retain her title but should get competition from St Jago’s Abigail Martin while Britannie Johnson of Camperdown High, Shanara Richards of Clarendon College, Najhada Seymore of Excelsior High and Maja Henry of Immaculate are also down to compete.
Jamaica College’s Dorian Charles leads the Jamaican high school challenge in the high school boys’ discus throw and will have his teammate Gabriel Lim, the Champs silver medallist with him, as well as St George’s College’s Deandre Bristol and Quewayne Brown of Petersfield High.
