PHILADELPHIA, United States — Excelsior High will be hunting a first-ever double at the Penn Relays after leading the qualifying for the high school boys 4x400m relays, running 3:14.35 seconds on a chilly Saturday morning at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Excelsior also qualified with the best time for the Championships of Americas boys’ 4x100m final and the Mountain View-based school that started attending the Penn Relays in 1965 will be seeking to create history.

Kingston College, who won at the Gibson McCook Relays and the ISSA Championships, is also through with 3:14.64 seconds, the third fastest time of the day, followed by Jamaica College with 3:16.42 seconds and St Elizabeth Technical with the ninth best time of 3:17.10 seconds.

The Jamaicans are expected to be challenged by Bishop McNamara of Maryland and Bullis School, who qualified with 3:14.84 seconds, thanks to a brilliant anchor leg run from Quincy Wilson who split 44.37 seconds to take his team from sixth to win, the fastest high school boys 4x400m split ever at the Penn Relays.

Other Jamaican teams that took part in the heats were Calabar High -3:17.72 seconds, Holmwood Technical – 3:18.00 seconds, William Knibb – 3:19.60 seconds, Edwin Allen  – 3:21.93 seconds, Maggotty High – 3:21.97 seconds, Herbert Morrison – 3:22.64 seconds, Foga Road- 3:24.06 seconds, Munro College- 3:24.81 seconds, St George’s College – 3:24.84 seconds, Muschett – 3:25.16 seconds, St Jago – 3:25.34 seconds, Port Antonio High – 3:25.55 seconds.

— Paul A Reid