JAMAICAN high school boys will start the defence of three Championships of Americas relay titles and four individual event titles today when the 129th staging of the Penn Relays Carnival gets underway at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

The usual army of Jamaican teams – 50 high schools and five colleges — are down to participate in the three-day championships, Another 10 high schools from the eastern Caribbean and one each from Great Britain and South Africa makes up the foreign contingent.

For the second time in three years since the restart of the Penn Relays after the COVID-19 pandemic the high school boys will compete first, on Thursday and Friday, while the girls will kick off their competition on Friday and will have their relay finals on Saturday’s final day.

Excelsior High will defend the high school boys’ 4x100m relay title after their upset win last year, Kingston College are favourites for a third-straight 4x400m title, while Jamaica College will be going after a fourth 4x800m title.

Six Jamaican teams, led by defending champions Jamaica College, are set to line up in the 4x800m which will start at 9:00 am (8:00 am Jamaican time), with the teams with the 12 fastest times advancing to Friday’s final.

Four-time winners Calabar High come into the championships with the fastest time among the Jamaicans with 7:47.94 minutes, which they ran at the Gibson/McCook Relays, while Kingston College are not that far behind after running 7:48.78 at Western Relays, where Jamaica College were second behind them with 7:49.71.

William Knibb Memorial, Edwin Allen and Holmwood Technical are also expected to participate as well.

Over 30 Jamaican teams, led by defending champions Kingston College, are down for the heats of the 4x400m relays which are set to be run between 2:10 pm to 5:30 pm.

Four Jamaican schools qualified for the championship final last year, with Kingston College edging Excelsior High while Jamaica College were fifth and St Elizabeth Technical ninth.

This year, Jamaica College, Calabar High, St Jago High, Excelsior High, William Knibb Memorial and St Elizabeth Technical are all expected to be contenders for the final, along with Kingston College who will start favourites to retain their title.

Among the other schools down to compete in the Mile Relay are Cornwall College, Munro College, St George’s College, Holmwood Technical, Edwin Allen, Petersfield, Vere Technical, Alphansus Davis High, Denbigh High, Lacovia High, Rhodes Hall, Titchfield High, Muschett High, Mona High, Foga Road, Maggotty High, St Catherine High, Sydney Pagon, Port Antonio High, Bridgeport, Herbert Morrison, Bellefield High, Oberlin High, Holy Trinity, Greater Portmore and Tacius Golding High.

Meanwhile, fresh from their outstanding participation in the Carifta track and field championships last weekend, a number of Jamaicans are expected to challenge for honours in a number of field events set for today.