Wolmer's, Munro shine at Penns

Raymond Graham, Sunday Gleaner Writer

FRANKLIN FIELD, Pennsylvania:Jamaica's boys bagged two relay wins as the curtain came down on the 2011 Penn Relays in Pennsylvania yesterday.

Wolmer's Boys' School made it back-to-back wins in the Cham-pionship of America 4x100 metres, while the Neil Harrison-coached Munro College captured the 4x400 metres to win their first ever relay title at the prestigious meet.

Munro were also favourites in the 4x100 metres after going into the final with the fastest time, but they were upstaged by Wolmer's who won the event in a moderate 40.42 seconds. Jamaican high schools took the first six places. Munro were second in 40.52 and they were followed by Kingston College, 40.62, Jamaica College, 40.82, St Elizabeth Technical, 41.03, and St George's College, 41.05.

Wolmer's coach David Riley was elated with the run by the quartet of Ramone Bailey, World Youth 100 metres champion Odean Skeen, Julian Forte and Yannick Hart.

"This win is sweeter than last year as we have been trying to put this team together all season but because of injuries we have been having setbacks. But this victory is great and we are not surprised, because I know that as long as Bailey gave us a good start we would have taken care of things," said Riley.

The St Elizabeth-based Munro, however, bounced back in style in the final event for high school boys. The quartet of Waynee Hyman, Rolando Reid, Kaniel Harrison and Delano Williams made no mistake as they took the event in 3:11.31. Junipero Sierra out of California were second in 3:14.39 and Wolmer's, the defending champions, were third in 3:14.98. Manchester High took fifth in 3:16.75, Jamaica College, sixth in 3:17.57, and St. Jago, eighth in 3:20.06.

Williams had a final-leg split of 46.23 and coach Neil Harrison expressed his delight at his first victory at the Penn Relays.

"It is a wonderful feeling and I am elated. I am 5ft 11 inches but I feel like 11 feet five inches, and the truth is that I have been trying to win this event for years and to know that my son (Kaneil) is a part of it, to God be the Glory," said an overjoyed Harrison.

There was no luck for Jamaican teams in the 4x800 metres final as both Holmwood Technical and Kingston College finished down the track behind winners Long Beach Poly. The California-based high school clocked 7:31.69 as Holmwood were fifth in 7:46.70 and Kingston College, seventh in 7:49.02.

There were two individual successes for Jamaicans yesterday among the high school boys as St George's College's Kimarki Absalom won the high jump with a 2.06 metres clearance, while Kingston College's Jerome Wilson took the long jump with a leap of 7.41 metres. The North Street-based school completed a one-two with Clive Pullene second with 7.26m.