Blake set for Penn Relays Wall of Fame

AS USUAL, this year’s staging of the Penn Relays, scheduled to take place inside the Franklinfield Stadium, Philadelphia, from April 27-29, will have its class of inductees to the Penn Relays Wall of Fame.

Former St Jago High sprinter, Yohan Blake, will be be recognised twice.

In one instance, the former World Champion is among three individuals to be inducted and in another, he is part of a relay team that has been given a nod this year.

In 2007, Blake was the anchor leg runner for the St Jago High boys’ 4x100-metre relay team that broke a two-year-old record, to win in 39.96 seconds, become the first high-school team to go sub-40 seconds at the carnival.

The team was coached by Danny Hawthorne and included Riker Hylton, Nickeal Ashmeade and Andre Walsh.

Three years later, in another 4x100, Blake returned to the carnival where he teamed up with Usain Bolt to be a part of the United States vs the World relay. The team won in 37.90 seconds in front of the largest crowd in Penn Relays history.

Along with Blake, Sonia O’Sullivan, a member of Villanova University’s 1994 team, will be honoured, as well as Tanya Hughes, who was part of the Great Mills High School team of 1990 and set a high jump record.

The other relay teams to make the Wall of Fame are the 2007 Michigan Women’s 4x1500-metre relay team and the 2009 Texas A&M College 4x100m relay team.