Hydel, Edwin make good start to ‘Penns’
PHILADELPHIA, USA — Hydel High are on course to repeat their 4x100m and 4x400m double while Edwin Allen High are through to three relay finals for the Penn Relays at Franklin Field, after impressive performances on Thursday.
Jamaican high schools are well represented in three Championships of America finals, including the 4x800m relays, after winning two individuals events — St Jago High’s Jade-Ann Dawkins retained her triple jump title and Wolmer’s Girls’ Shanique Williams won the high jump.
Hydel High lead the qualifiers in the 4x100m while Edwin Allen High held a slight edge in the 4x400m relays, the latter promising another titanic battle between the two powerhouses.
The Corey Bennett-coached Hydel High led six Jamaican teams into the final of the 4x100m final, after running 45.99 seconds in the first round.
Former champions Holmwood Technical, 46.38 seconds; St Jago High, 46.55s; and Edwin Allen High, 46.59s, also advanced as well as St Mary High, 46.46s; and Wolmer’s Girls, 46.72s.
Another seven schools are through to the international final, the consolation for overseas schools that failed to make it to the championships race.
St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), 47.72s; Immaculate Conception, 47.73s; Excelsior High, 47.82s; St Andrew High, 48.18s; Vere Technical, 48.28; Manchester High, 48.37s; and St Catherine, 48.52s, are through as well.
Edwin Allen, who left Franklin Field empty-handed last year, failing to win any of the Championships of America relay trophies, will seek to prevent a third-straight Hydel High win in the 4x400m after running 3:41.33 minutes, the fastest time in the preliminaries, just ahead of Hydel High who ran 3:41.47, with STETHS also looking good with a 3:43.83 clocking.
Vere Technical with 3:46.60; and Wolmer’s Girls in 3:47.47 also advanced to the final while former champions Holmwood just missed out after running 3:49.22 for third in their heat.
Bullis School of Potomac, Maryland; Union Catholic of New Jersey; as well as Timber Lake of Sicklerville, New Jersey; are the American team that could pose a threat to a Jamaican sweep of the top three places in the finals.
