Excellent double for Hydel at Penns

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

YESTERDAY’S WEATHER in Philadelphia was the best in many years on a Friday at the Penn Relays and Hydel High took full advantage of the excellent conditions to produce two top performances in the high school girls’ Championship of America 4x100 metres and 4x400m.

Shemonique Hazle, Alliah Baker, Shania Myers and Jody Ann Daley set the stage early in the first final on the day with a good victory in the 4x100m. With crisp baton exchanges all the way, they clocked 44.71 seconds to retain their title and turned back former champions Edwin Allen High who were second in 44.96, despite a good second leg from Theianna-Lee Terrelonge. St Jago High took third in 45.14 as Wolmer’s Girls were fifth in 45.37, Holmwood sixth in 45.77 and St Mary High eighth in 46.17.

“We were always confident that we would have retained our title as the team was well prepared by coach Corey Bennett and we had no doubt. All four of us played important roles and we are happy for the win,” said Baker who ran the second leg.

Immaculate Conception High captured the International final in 46.70. Excelsior 46.83, St Elizabeth Technical 46.86, Vere Technical 47.13 and St Catherine High, 47.26, occupied the next four spots.

Baker and Daley returned later to team up with Natassia Fletcher who ran a blinder on third leg and Abigail Campbell to also retain the 4x400m title and make it three wins in a row at the Penn Relays after clocking 3:34.78.

Baker had to dig deep on the anchor leg to hold off the challenge of Bullis High as the Maryland team clocked a United States high school record of 3:35. 17 for second. Edwin Allen ended fourth in 3:43. 62.

“I am extremely happy to finish my Penn Relays journey for Hydel with two wins as it has been an outstanding season for me. Definitely credit must be given to my teammates and my coach who is the best high school coach,” said Baker.

For the second year in a row, Edwin Allen left the meet without a title after finishing second in the 4x800m in 8:50.76. Defending champions Union Catholic of New Jersey retained their title in fine style and broke a 16-year-old United States high school record in the event, winning in 8:41.20, erasing the previous mark of 8:43. 12 set by Eleanor Roosevelt of Maryland in 2008. Holmwood ended fifth in 8:58.04.

Earlier in the day there was preliminary round action for the boys in the 4x100m and 4x800m. Jamaica College (JC) and Kingston College (KC) advanced to today’s 4x800m final set for 3:10 p.m. JC won their heat in 7:45. 38, to be the fastest qualifiers ahead of Newburgh Free of New York who were second in 7:45.54. KC ended second in their heat in 7:53. 86 to emerge the fourth-fastest qualifiers.

Excelsior sent out a very strong message ahead of today’s 4x100m final slated for 1:29 p.m. The quartet of Ryeem Walker, Demor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green stopped the clock at 40.62 to emerge the fastest qualifiers. Six other Jamaican teams will run in the final – Herbert Morrison 41,26, KC 41.30, St Jago 41.35, St George’s College 41.42, Calabar 41.70 and defending champions JC 41.73.

Athletes from JC won three individual field events. Chavez Penn topped the triple jump with a distance of 15.38m, Nicardo Grey Clarke of Wolmer’s Boys was second with 14. 52m and Cornwall College’s O’Brien Bowen third with 14.49m.

JC’s Balvin Israel dominated the long jump event winning with 7.24m to get the better of KC’s Nathan Wade who was second with 7.09m.

Shaiquan Dunn made it three wins on the day for JC after winning the shot put with a heave of 20.73m. His teammate Devontae Edwards took fourth with 18.52m.

Munro College’s Chad Hendricks picked up the fourth win on the day for Jamaican high schools after capturing the discus with a throw of 66.17m.