Unlike our extremely successful high-school teams, our colleges have tougher times at the Penn Relays. However, 10 years after a historic first win by a Jamaican college at Penn, the University of Technology (UTech) is primed for speed in Philadelphia. The UTech Knights are the defending college men’s 4×200-metre relay champions, and Carrie Russell is in form in time to repeat as 100-metre winner. In addition, the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Traves Smikle is favoured in the colleges’ men’s discus. Early in February, a UTech quartet of Tyqueando Tracey, Andrew Fisher, Julian Forte and Nicholas Watson combined to run the 4x100m in 38.80 seconds at the Milo Western Relays. Since the US outdoor season has begun, only Texas A&M University has bettered the UTech time with its own fast run of 38.64. UTech has come close in this event before. In 2003, an Asafa Powell squad had baton problems in the 4×100, but recovered to win the 4x200m. Last year, a baton fumble left UTech second, but again was the lead-in to a 4x200m victory. Injured while leading the 2012 World Junior Championships 200m final, Forte brings good karma to Penns. He was on winning Wolmers’ teams […]
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PENNSYLVANIA, USA: Wolmer’s Boys’ will be seeking to make history at this year’s 119th staging of the Penn Relays when they go in search of their fourth consecutive victory in the boys’ 4x100m. Wolmer’s and Kingston College currently share the honour of having won the race on three consecutive occasions at the annual relay carnival, but the Heroes’ Circle-based school’s coach, Christopher Harley, is keen on his boys taking sole ownership of the record. “I wouldn’t mind winning the fourth one in a row as it would be the first it has happened and it is good to rewrite history, so I want to get that in our name,” Harley said. “I think this is a good set of boys, although two of them are making their first appearance at the Penn Relays. “So, I hope that they will be able to adjust to the weather especially. But from experience, I know what to do to make sure that they are ready for the occasion and I think that we will be fine.” The four boys who are set to take to the track tomorrow to commence the defence of their school’s 4x100m title are Yaniek Hart, Raheem Robinson […]
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Men’s 4x100M It will be a USA vs. Jamaica showdown in the men’s 4x100m. Team USA will feature Olympic silver relay medalists Justin Gatlin, Trell Kimmons, Ryan Bailey, Doc Patton and Jeff Demps. Other U.S. men in the relay pool include: current world leader Mike Rodgers and Wallace Spearmon. The Jamaican team will include Nesta Carter of the 2012 Olympic gold medal relay, along with Jason Young, Kimari Roach, Dexter Lee and Rasheed Dwyer. Other international challengers include: the Bahamas, Canada, France, Germany, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Women’s 4x100M With a world record to their name, the Team USA women will be hard to beat. The record setting relay lineup of Allyson Felix, Tianna (nee’ Madison) Bartoletta, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter will be down one woman after Jeter pulled up with an apparent cramp at Mt. SAC last weekend. The U.S. has plenty of depth to fill her spot with the likes of Chelsea Hayes, Jeneba Tarmoh and Alexandria Anderson also in the pool. The U.S. and Jamaican rivalry will be strong in this event as Jamaica brings three members of their silver medal Olympic team with two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson and Kerron […]
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College Men’s 400m Hurdles Championship 9:00 AM Ronald Levy UTech Jamie Demns UTech [hr] High School Boys’ 4×800 Small Schools 9:20 AM Holmwood Tech (Christiana, JAM) [hr] High School Boys’ 4×800 Small Schools 9:30 AM Jamaica College (Kingston, JAM) St. Jago (St. Catherine, JAM) Munro College (St. Elizabeth, JAM) Bellefield (Mandeville, JAM) [hr] High School Boys’ 4×800 Large Schools 9:40 AM Kingston College (East Kingston, JAM) Calabar (Kingston, JAM) [hr] High School Boys’ 4×100 Small Schools (Heats) 10:40AM Ardenne (Kingston, JAM) Garvey Maceo (Clarendon, JAM) Holmwood Tech (Christiana, JAM) Hydel (St. Catherine, JAM) Jamaica College (Kingston, JAM) Mannings (Westmoreland, JAM) Herbert Morrison (Montego Bay, JAM) Munro College (St. Elizabeth, JAM) St. Jago (St. Catherine, JAM) Two Jamaican teams ran below 40 flat at this year’s Boys Champs, Kingston College (39.85) and Munro College (39.92), as KC held off the furious closing rush of the Munro anchor, Delano Williams, who earlier in the meet had won the 100 and 200 (10.28/20.27), the 100 into a headwind. The Relays record is 39.78, by Wolmer’s in 2010. KC, however, is one of several Jamaican teams that have been hit by the chicken pox as a result of infection at this spring’s Carifta Games; it is […]
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FORMER Manchester High school middle distance standout, Natoya Goule continued her dream debut season at Louisiana State University (LSU) over the weekend, with another impressive showing on Saturday in the 800m, posting a world leading time of 2:00.76 to win at the Alumni Gold Meet. Goule, a two-time IAAF World Junior Championships representative for Jamaica, in winning the two lap event, eclipsed her previous best of 2:01.18, which was the previous world lead and also posted a stadium record, removing Neisha Bernard Thomas’ mark of 2:00.77, set in 2010. She captured the event ahead of Latavia Thomas (2:02.72) competing for Nike with third going to Goule’s teammate, Charlene Lipsey in 2:03.13. At the same meet, it was second-place finishes for Nikita Tracy and Demar Forbes. Tracy, the elder sister of Racers athlete Ristananna, gave a glimpse of her good form from several years ago, finishing second in the women’s 400m hurdles in a personal best of 56.51 seconds, to be the third fastest Jamaican so far this season in the event. The event was won by Cassandra Tate, representing Tiger Olympics in 56.40 with Tracy’s former team-mate at Edwin Allen High, Andrea Sutherland-Wright running third in 58.22 seconds. Olympian […]
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Asafa Powell said he is recovering well after suffering a hamstring injury in Australia late last month, however, he is still uncertain about whether or not he will recover in time for the May 4 Jamaica International Invitational, to be held inside the National Stadium. Organisers never confirmed the sprinter, but according to him, it was certainly a meet he was looking forward to competing at. Powell, a two-time world 100m bronze medallist, is already back in training at the University of Technology-based MVP Track Club, but the 30-year-old said he his exercising patience concerning his return to the track. “The recovery is coming on quite well, I’m getting better very fast. I didn’t think it (injury) was anything serious but it turned out to be a bit more serious than I thought, but it still wasn’t an injury to keep me out for weeks. I’m back in training right now actually,” Powell told The Gleaner. Eager to make a return The sprinter said that he started the year eager to make a return to the Jamaica International Invitational, after being forced to pull out last year from an expected clash with Usain Bolt because of a […]
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High School Girls’ 400m Hurdles Championship 10:30 AM Camira Haughton – Edwin Allen (Clarendon, JAM) Tatiana Wolfe – St. Jago (St. Catherine, JAM) Kimone Green – St. Elizabeth Tech (Santa Cruz, JAM) Sashel Brown – Alpha Academy (Kingston, JAM) [hr] High School Girls’ 4×800 Small Schools 10:30 AM Holmwood Tech (Christiana, JAM) St. Jago (St. Catherine, JAM) [hr] High School Girls’ 4×800 Large Schools Edwin Allen (Clarendon, JAM) 10:50 AM [hr] High School Girls’ 4×100 Small Schools (Heats) 11:10 AM Alpha Academy (Kingston, JAM) Holmwood Tech (Christiana, JAM) Manchester (Manchester, JAM) St. Andrew Technical (Kingston 13, JAM) St. Elizabeth Tech (Santa Cruz, JAM) St. Hugh’s (Kingston, JAM) St. Jago (St. Catherine, JAM) Vere Technical (Clarendon, JAM) [hr] High School Girls’ 4×100 Large Schools (Heats) 12:15 PM Edwin Allen (Clarendon, JAM) The Queen’s School (Kingston, JAM) St. Andrew Girls (Kingston, JAM) Tacius Golding (St. Catherine, JAM) [hr] [column2] [/column2] [column2_last] [/column2_last] [hr] High School Girls’ 4×400 St. Elizabeth Tech (Santa Cruz, JAM) 1:55 PM The Queen’s School (Kingston, JAM) 3:10 PM Vere Technical (Clarendon, JAM) 4:00 PM Edwin Allen (Clarendon, JAM) 4:05 PM St. Andrew Technical (Kingston JAM) 4:05 PM Apha Academy (Kingston, JAM) 4:10 PM Holmwood Tech (Christiana, JAM) 4:10 PM St. Jago […]
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Melaine Walker, the 2008 Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion and 2009 IAAF World champion, will get the first test of her credentials as a sprint hurdler when she takes on 2012 Olympic silver medallist Dawn Harper at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) on May 4. Donald Quarrie, meet director of the JII, said he got word from the hurdler’s handlers weeks ago requesting a lane in the sprint hurdles. The 30-year-old Walker, who is the second-fastest woman of all time over the 400-metre hurdles, recently went through a very public break-up with her former coach Stephen Francis of the MVP Track Club over her ambitions to pursue the sprint hurdles. Now being coached by Fitz Coleman, who is guiding the development of 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment, Walker will get an early taste of what it will be like going up against some of the world’s best as in addition to Harper, the 2008 Olympic champion, who has a personal best of 12.37 seconds, she also faces two-time NCAA champion Virginia Crawford (12.48) and Jamaica’s Olympic sprint hurdles semi-finalist Shermaine Williams (12.78). Walker’s best time in the event is 12.75 which was achieved back in 2006. Main Invitational […]
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Gore Development Limited has contributed $200,000 to assist Jamaica College’s (JC) track and field team to compete at the annual Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin Field, Philadelphia, in the United States from April 25-27. “I am pleased to be here on behalf of Gore Development and Mr Phillip Gore in particular to make a contribution to JC’s track and field team to go to the Penn Relays,” Ruthven Ottey, Gore Development’s general manager, stated at the short presentation ceremony during JC’s devotion yesterday morning inside the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at the institution’s Old Hope Road location. “Personally, I am from an athletic family but I did not get the opportunity to go to the Penn Relays and so I am saying to you, equip yourselves properly and go to the Penn Relays and do well,” the younger brother of legendary Jamaican track icon Merlene Ottey said. Principal of JC, Ruel Reid, thanked Gore Development for their contribution. VERY SPECIAL “JC is very special to so many persons. Our track team has done very well at all meets during the season, so this will encourage us to continue the good work,” Reid said. JC’s sports master […]
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He brands himself as the ‘Sub-10 King’ these days and no one can dispute it, as he has posted a record 88 sub-10 seconds marks in the 100 metres. But with seemingly non-stop injury problems and failure to win an individual medal since his 100m bronze at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, the question was asked: is Asafa Powell losing his appeal on the international circuit? According to his agent, Paul Doyle, Powell remains a big name on the circuit, and while there are some concerns from race promoters about his constant injury issues, his client still has a lot to offer. “Is he (Powell) losing his appeal? No, not yet; of course there is some concern when we do deals with meets and people ask if he is going to show up healthy or if he is going to finish the race healthy, but a lot of athletes have that issue,” said Doyle during a recent chat with The Gleaner in Eugene, Oregon. “But he is still a very big name in the sport and still a very much sought-after athlete,” Doyle underlined. Powell, who celebrated his 30th birthday last November, has had his high points […]
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