JC rebound with win in 4x100m at Penns

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania

ON A VERY rainy and cold day inside the Franklin Field Stadium at the 127th staging of the Penn Relays, Jamaica College (JC) and Kingston College (KC) picked up a win each after taking home the Championship of America 4x100 metres and the 4x400m titles, respectively.

Following a bad opening day on Thursday where their 4x800m team was disqualified, followed by their 4x400m team which failed to finish JC bounced back in style in the 4x100m.

In what was a very close encounter, the quartet of Daniel Beckford, Jaiden Reid, Hector Benjamin and Malique Smith-Band turned back St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) to win in 40.97 second. STETHS took second in 41.19 with Archbishop John Carroll High of the United States third, also in 41.19. Camperdown High (41 34), KC (41.39) and Wolmer’s Boys (41 71) ended fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. St Jago High failed to finish.

“I am elated as we have been under tremendous pressure. We came for three plaques and we got one. Based on what happened to us earlier, the 4x100m guys were ready to strike and they did. I must lift my hat off to the boys and the coaching staff, especially Jody Muschette who prepared the team,” said an emotional Neil Harrison, the head coach of JC.

CLOSE FINISH

Excelsior High captured the International 4x100m, a consolation finals for team not making it to the Championship final. In another very close finish they clocked 41.04 seconds to defeat Calabar High, 41.12, into second place with Herbert Morrison Technical closing out the top three in 41.87. Edwin Allen High (42.73) and William Knibb High (43.48) finished sixth and eighth, respectively as St George’s College failed to finish.

KC pulled off a surprise win in the 4x400m final to retain their title. Aided by a very strong anchor leg from Emmanuel Rwotomiya, KC won the event in three minutes 15.62 seconds .The other members of the team were Amal Glasgow, Marcinho Rose and Raheem Richards. Calabar (3:16.54), Edwin Allen (3;17.08) and STETHS (3:18.85) ended third, fourth and fifth, respectively, while St Jago failed to finish.

Head coach of KC, Leaford Grant, was happy for the win.

“I am very excited. We were expected to challenge for the win and we did well to go home with a plaque,” Grant said.

Based on their qualifying run, KC were not favoured to win but Grant had warned fans not to leave KC out of any calculations.

“As usual, people normally write us off but I must tell them never to write off a KC team,” he stated .

KC came very close to taking another title as they looked the winners in the 4x800m before anchor leg runner Ainsley Campbell was pegged back in a close finish by Ryan Beegle of Cheltenham High of the United States who had a split of 1:51.47. His team won in seven minutes 47.66 seconds just ahead of KC who were second in 7:47.68 with STETHS third in 7:49.45.

WIN FOR G.C. FOSTER

G.C. Foster College men’s team gave Jamaica as third win on the day as the Maurice Wilson-coached team took some big scalps in the College 4x200 metres Championship of America final. G.C. Foster won in one minute 23.20 seconds as Clemson University 1:24.32 and the University of Houston 1:25.02 ended second and third, respectively. The members of the winning G.C. Foster quartet were Andre Dacres, Jahein Diosi, Jordan James and Roy Miller