PHILADELPHIA, USA — Jamaica College (JC)’s 4x100m team were the only Jamaican high school relay Championship of America winners when the 130th Penn Relays Carnival ended in wet and cold conditions here at Franklin Field on Saturday.

After promising multiple titles, with JC leading qualifying in two events from Friday — the 4x100m and 4x800m — the Jamaicans managed a single win, the fewest in many years.

William Knibb Memorial also won the High School Boys’ International 4x100m title.

A day earlier, Edwin Allen and Hydel retained their Championship of America 4x100m and 4x400m titles, respectively, while there were also a handful of individual titles.

After two days of bright sunshine and warm weather, Saturday started cool and overcast, with conditions deteriorating as the day progressed into cold, driving rain and temperatures in the mid-40s Fahrenheit.

Jamaica’s brightest moment came when JC won their third High School Boys’ 4x100m Championship of America title in 40.03 seconds.

Makaeean Woods, who replaced Malique Dennis from Friday’s preliminaries, teamed up with Nathaniel Martin, Elijah Smeikle, and Kai Kelly to extend Jamaica’s dominance in the event to 20-straight wins dating back to 2005.

It was JC’s fourth win in the event and first since 2023, as Kingston College (KC) was second in 40.26 seconds and St James Academy, the only American team in the race, was third in 40.38 seconds.

St Jago was fourth in 40.43 seconds, Edwin Allen fifth in 40.51 seconds, followed by Excelsior (40.60 seconds), Wolmer’s (41.68 seconds), Petersfield (41.77 seconds), and St Mary High (42.37 seconds).

William Knibb Memorial, who were just edged out of a place in the Championship final, made amends by winning the International final in 40.71 seconds, beating last year’s winners St George’s College (42.27 seconds), with Calabar third in 42.48 seconds.

Cornwall College finished fourth in 42.51 seconds, followed by Munro College (42.54 seconds) and Herbert Morrison Technical (42.63 seconds).

KC’s bid for an unprecedented fifth-straight 4x400m relay title failed as Bullis School of Maryland, anchored by Olympic relay gold medallist Quincy Wilson, won in 3:10.15 minutes.

Archbishop John Carroll of Washington, DC, were second in 3:13.15 minutes, followed by JC in 3:13.57 minutes and KC in 3:14.74 minutes.

Munro College were eighth in 3:27.73 minutes, while Excelsior fell on the first leg and did not finish.

JC, the only Jamaican team to qualify for the 4x800m Championship of America final, finished fourth in 7:52.27 minutes.

Union Catholic of New Jersey won in 7:41.14 minutes, beating IMG Academy of Florida (7:42.71 minutes), with Hackensack of New Jersey third in 7:48.87 minutes.

Kai Kelly (right) anchors Jamaica College to the Championship of America 4x100m title at the Penn Relays ahead of Kingston College in a time of 40.03 seconds at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.(Photo: Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and Team Jamaica Bickle)

Jamaica College’s 4x100m relay team celebrates with the Championship of America title at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’ on Saturday. (Photo: Collin Reid courtesy of KFC and Team Jamaica Bickle)

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