PHILADELPHIA, USA – Jamaica College’s Gabriel Lim created Jamaican high school history on Thursday’s first day of the 127th Penn Relays, when he won the high school boys’ javelin title, the first ever by a Jamaican at the event held at Franklin Field, Philadelphia.

Lim, who won the silver medal at this year’s ISSA champs, threw 61.24m to win the event where he was the only Jamaican taking part.

Meanwhile, there were wins for Kobe Lawrence who retained his shot put title, Demario Prince of St Jago in the long jump and Trevon Hamer of Jamaica College in the triple jump.

Lawrence threw 20.93m to win the shot put, as St Jago’s Shaiquan Dunn was third with 18.07m and William Knibb’s Chavez Grey seventh with 16.57m.

Prince battled Camren Williams of Archbishop John Carroll of Washington DC to win with 7.42m (-0.4m/s) with Kingston College’s Nathan Wade third with 7.22m (0.7m/s).

Hamer was the only athlete in the triple jump to go over 15.00m with 15.17m (1.6m/s) to win the Penn Relays’ watch, while Kingston College’s Javar Thomas was third with 14.81m (1.10m/s), Cornwall College’s Kesean Rhooms eighth with 13.62m (-0.2m/s) and his teammate Obrien Bowen was 10th with a best of 13.52m (0.9m/s).

The Kingston College pair of Isiah Patrick and Aaron McKenzie were second and third in the high jump, both clearing 1.98m while Jamaica College’s Champs winner Raquil Broderick was third in the discus throw with 61.92m; Clarendon College’s Ricardo Hayles was fifth with 58.90m, Yekeni Bowen of Petersfield was sixth with 56.31m and Delano Lawrence of Calabar High was 12th with 49.89m.

— Paul A Reid