PHILADELPHIA – The 2023 Penn Relays for high school girls and boys have officially been announced and Jamaica has seen victory on both sides.
The relay events for the high school level were: 4×100, 4×400, 4×800, and distance medley relay, and included exceptional talent from all over the country and the Caribbean islands.
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Competing in the girls’ field were three teams that stood apart from the rest with seed times at or below 8:50:
Union Catholic (N.J.), Edwin Allen (Jamaica), and Holmwood Tech (Jamaica). Edwin Allen was the defending champions at the Penn Relays, while Union Catholic finished third last year.
Edwin Allen High finished in second place in the 4×400 and 4×800 and, for the first time since 2013, failed to win a single relay gold medal.
Holmwood Technical won the High School Girls’ 4x100m International final in 46.81 seconds, with St. Mary High (46.85) and St. Catherine High (47.22) finishing in second and third place, respectively.
For the boys, six teams entered with season best times of 7:50 or faster, led by Jamaica College seeded at an outstanding 7:40. Jamaica College were the defending champs in the event, running the third-fastest time in Penn Relays history at 7:28.
Both Jamaica College and KC claimed the High School Boys’ 4×100 and 4×400 Championship of America titles.
Unfortunately, Ryan Beegle from Chatham High School in New Jersey edged out Ainsley Campbell of Kingston College (KC), coming in a second ahead of the Jamaicans.
On the second day of the competition, Jamaican high school boys narrowly missed out on a clean sweep of the 4x100m, 4x400m, and 4x800m relays.
On the final day, Hydel High School had a standout performance, winning their first-ever Penn Relays double. The Corey Bennet-coached team claimed victory in the High School Girls’ 4×100 and 4×400 Championship of America races. Hydel won the 4x100m for the first time and retained the 4x400m crown, earning their fourth title in the last five stagings.
The 127th running of the Penn Relays was presented by Toyota from April 27-29 at historic Franklin Field.
Photos by Leonard McKenzie.
