Wolmer's Girls', Bridgeport, Munro send warning

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

WITH the 117th staging of the Penn Relays just two weeks away, Wolmer's Girl's, Bridgeport High and Munro College were in scintilating form, as they recorded impressive wins at Saturday's University of Technology Track and Field Classics, warming up in style for next weekend's prestigious event, scheduled for Franklinfield, Pennsylvania.

The Michael Carr-coached team has never won the Championship of America 4x100 metres event at Penns. However, with his young troupe, led by Class Three Girls' Championships double sprint champion, Shauna Helps at the helm, this may very well be their year.

The team became the fastest high school team going into next weekend's carnival with a school record of 45.38 seconds, upstaging the likes of Edwin Allen High and Holmwood Technical to win the event at the National Stadium on Saturday. The quartet of Janelle Foster, Cardine Copeland, Helps and Jonniel Smith gave the fair-sized crowd a taste of what was to come with a brilliant display.

After an average start by their lead off runner, it was the more experienced Edwin Allen and Holmwood that took early control.

However, with Copeland on the second leg and Helps on the third, bringing back their team in the reckoning, it came down to the anchor, as Smith, the Carifta Trials Under-17 200 metres champion, brought the house down with a tremendous late burst of speed. Coming from some distance behind, she first took control of the Holmwood runner before battling with Edwin Allen's Sashwana French, before outleaning her on the line for a close win, as Edwin Allen finished second in 45.40 seconds with Holmwood taking third in 45.46 seconds.

second place

Edwin Allen was, however, lucky to keep their second place as French had failed to finish with the baton as it fell from her grasp before crossing the finish line.

Minutes later the crowd was treated to another sensational anchor leg run by Bridgeport's High Jazeel Murphy. Murphy, the boy's Class One 100 metres champion, once again displayed his immense talent in the high school boy's 4x100 metres event.

Like he did at Champs when he came from way behind to put his team into third, this time around he was even more spectacular, as after getting the baton way behind in fourth and with leader Camperdown High looking like sure winners, Murphy showed great top-end speed to haul in his opponents and he also had time to celebrate before crossing the line to give his team a win by 100th of a second as they clocked 40.46 seconds to wipe out Wolmer's Boys' one year old record of 40.55 seconds. Camperdown (40.47) and Munro (41.14) finished second and third respectively. It was a new school record in the event for the Carl Page-coached team.

no stopping

Like they have been doing all season there was no stopping of the Munro College mile relay train as once again, the Neil Harrison-coached team proved that they are the best quartet among high school teams this season.

Following their Gibson Relays and Boy's Championships victories, they continued to roll on Saturday as they cruised to a record breaking 3:10.66 in the Boy's 4x400 metres relay, to erase Holmwood Technical's 2009 mark of 3:13.22, putting themselves into pole position going into Penns next week. Calabar gave an encouraging performance to finish second in 3:12.11 while St. Jago High had to settle for third in 3:15.66.