PHILADELPHIA, United States—Hydel High’s gamble to contest just the 4x400m at the 130th Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field paid off handsomely as they won a fifth straight Championships of the Americas title running 3:32.85 seconds on Friday, the third fastest ever at the championships.

Hydel High skipped both the 4x100m and 4x800m, spreading their scarce resources across a few events and led only for the final 60 meters on Friday, anchor leg runner Nastassia Fletcher overtaking Edwin Allen High, who were second in 3:33.24 seconds, their best ever time at the Penn Relays and fourth fastest overall, with Bullis School of Maryland placing third with 3:38.46 seconds.

Hydel’s coach Corey Bennett shuffled the deck, switching around the running order from the team that ran the preliminaries on Thursday, starting with Sashashunta Hemmings, to Sashanna Johnson, Aaliyah Mullings and Fletcher, as they won their 11th Penn Relay wheel in the event.

Holmwood Technical were fourth with 3:39.43 seconds, and Alphansus Davis were eighth with 3:50.48 seconds.

-Paul A Reid