Baptism of fire for new coaches at Penn Relays

Multiple-time champions Calabar High School found the going tough at the recent Penn Relays held in Philadelphia, while St Jago’s male and female teams, who have also been successful over the years, failed to add to their tally but had encouraging results with their young troupes.

It was indeed a telling baptism for first-time head coach Julian Robinson, as the Red Hills Road team – one of the most successful Jamaican high school teams at the relays with 20 Championship of America titles, including 10 in the 4x400m, nine in the 4x100m and one in the 4x800m – found the going very tough this time.

Holders of the 4x100m record with their 39.00 seconds done in 2017, and 3:03.79 in the 4x400m in 2018, the team failed this time around to advance to either of the Championship of America finals.

Defending champions in the 4x100 metres, they finished third in their heat in 41.58 seconds, which was only good enough for the consolation finals. There, they ended third in 42.48, behind William Knibb, who won in 40.71, and St George’s College, second in 42.27.

In the 4x400m, they ended fourth in their preliminary-round heat, clocking 3:20.81 and failing to advance to the finals.

St Jago’s male team, who in the past have garnered 11 titles – six in the 4x400m, four in the 4x100m and one in the 4x800m – also under new head coach Carl Page, fared much better.

The Monk Street-based team, with a very young quartet of three Class Two and one Class One athlete (Trey Bennett, Marquies Page, Rajuan Romelly and Jevaney Findlay) ended a respectable fourth in the Championship of America 4x100m final in a season’s best 40.43, with winners Jamaica College (40.03) and runners-up Kingston College (40.19) the only Jamaican teams to finish ahead of them.

With four Championship of America 4x100m titles and two in the 4x400m for an overall six titles, St Jago’s girls, with their quartet of Class Two athletes – Shannia Campbell, Adora Campbell, Martina Parkes and Trish Ann Grant – were very competitive in the Championship of America 4x100m final.

A brilliant opening leg from Shannia Campbell had them in front of a very strong Edwin Allen team, and they were competitive through the first three legs before the experience of Edwin Allen prevailed in the end, winning in 44.13, ahead of their 45.08.

It was a very solid performance from the St Jago team, who have been together since their Class Four days and who won the consolation finals at the Penn Relays a year ago in record time.

Once this group stays together, we could see them getting their school back to the pinnacle of the event very soon at the Penn Relays.