Kingston College (KC) and Calabar High qualified for three Championship of America finals at the Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, yesterday.

KC, who will be seeking to become the first school in over 100 years to win four-straight 4x400m Championship of America titles, and Calabar have qualified in the 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m while Jamaica College (JC), Excelsior High, St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS), and Edwin Allen High will compete in two finals.

Jamaican schoolboys won five of six field events they competed in with JC’s Chavez Penn joining a select group when he won the high jump after taking the triple jump last year.

Under a clear blue sky with temperatures in the high 70s degree Fahrenheit, seven schools, including the last two winners Excelsior High and JC qualified for the 4x100m final.

Eight-time winners and favourites in some quarters, Calabar ran 40.24 seconds to lead the qualifying, followed by another eight-time champion, KC, who ran 40.70 seconds.

Archbishop Carroll of Washington, DC are the top American qualifiers with 41.03 seconds, just ahead of JC’s 41.04 seconds with defending champions Excelsior next with 41.08 seconds.

Edwin Allen (41.35s), William Knibb Memorial (41.38s), Blue Mountain High of Pennsylvania (41.45s), and STETHS (41.49s) made the cut.

Jamaican teams have won the last 18 titles, dating back to 2005 when Holmwood Technical won their only sprint relay title.

Another five Jamaican teams are into the International final, reserved for the nine fastest international schools that did not make the Championship of America final.

St George’s College, who were 11th overall in the heats with 41.79 seconds, leads the pack followed by Herbert Morrison Technical (42.06s), Petersfield High (42.34s), Queens College of the Bahamas (42.40s), Munro College (42.57s), Mona High (42.74s), Queens Royal College of Trinidad and Tobago (42.90s), as well as St Vincent Grammar of St Vincent and the Grenadines (43.01s), and the second school from the Bahamas, St Augustine’s also with 43.01 seconds.

Five Jamaican schools qualified for the 4x400m finals, led by KC who will hope to join Manual of Brooklyn, New York, who won four titles between 1907 and 1910.

Last year’s runners up Excelsior, as well a JC and STETHS are back and will be joined by former champions and record holders Calabar.

Another epic contest is on the cards as Bullis School of Potomac, Maryland which is anchored by teen-aged American Olympic Games 4x400m gold medalist Quincy Wilson, led his team to a 3:11.04-minute clocking to lead all qualifiers.

Bullis School finished third last year and sixth in 2023 but will start favourites on Friday.

Calabar was the fastest Jamaican team with 3:11.58 minutes, followed by Excelsior (3:12.52), and STETHS (3:12.76).

Toms River of New Jersey ran 3:13.16, KC got in with 3:13.22, ahead of Archbishop, who ran 3:14.55. JC had the eighth fastest time of 3:14.96, followed by Downingtown West of Pennsylvania in 3:15.18.

Edwin Allen, who were expected to qualify for the final, failed to finish their race but are one of three teams that qualified for the 4x800m finals.

Edwin Allen were eighth best in 7:49.99 minutes, finishing third in their heat; KC were next with 7:50.06, winning their heat, while Calabar were fourth in their heat in 7:50.76.

Defending champions JC were 14th overall in 7:51.20, while Holmwood Technical clocked 7:56.64 and did not qualify.