Penn Relays 2007: Boy’s High School Relay Preview
Posted April 23rd, 2007 at 9:44 PM by thefinalsprint.com
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Yohan Blake is quickly becoming legendary in Jamaica. The question is, will he become a legend in Philadelphia?
Blake is a junior and 17-year-old sprinter for St. Jago High School. At the Jamaican High School Champs last month in Kingston he was part of four spectacular victories: he broke a famous meet record in the 100 meters, running 10.22, and won the 200 in a personal-best 20.62. He also ran legs on two winning relay teams, both of which set records in this famous meet—39.80 in the 4×100 and 3:09.51 in the 4×400. It was the first time a Jamaican schoolboy team had dipped under 40 flat.
Two weeks later, Blake won the Carifta Games 100 in 10.11 seconds, setting a meet record at these important Caribbean Junior Championships.
A year ago at the Penn Relays, Blake ran legs on St. Jago’s 4×100 and 4×400 teams. They finished third in the 4×100 in 40.59, losing to Camperdown (a meet-record 40.13) and Kingston College; in the 4×400, Blake ran a 46.2 anchor, but again it was not enough to catch Camperdown (3:11.46-3:12.40). At the Championships, Blake ran a 45.5 leg.
This year at the Relays, Blake is scheduled for that same double duty. In the 4×400 he will be joined by Rykert Holton, winner of the Champs 400 in 46.28.
Of course, neither the 4×100 nor the 4×400 will be conceded to Blake and St. Jago. Four other Jamaican teams have run under 41 seconds this season: Calabar (40.48), Jamaica College (40.76), Wolmer’s Boys (40.80) and Kingston College (40.88). Calabar is led by Ramone McKenzie, who broke Class 2 records this year, running 20.89/47.24. There is also Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison, a 16-year-old who ran 10.34; as a team, HERB has run 41.85.
In the 4×100, the most likely domestic challenge will come from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, led by its outstanding senior sprinter, Bryshon Nellum. Nellum leads the country in the 400 this spring (46.02); as a team, Poly ran 41.39 to win at Arcadia earlier this month.
Last year at the Relays, Jamaican schools took the first five spots in the Championship final, as well as winning the Large School and Small School consolation finals.
There are a number of Eastern teams with a shot at making finals, including I.C. Norcom, Manchester, Deep Creek and Bethel from Virginia; Irvington and Teaneck from New Jersey; Oxon Hill, Md.; and Sheepshead Bay (Brooklyn) and Baldwin from New York.
Internationally, watch for Jack Hayward from the Bahamas, El Dorado from Trinidad, and the Baseball Academy from Puerto Rico.
In the 4×400, Kingston College is a threat, having run 3:09.22 at the Gibson Relays early in the season. At the Jamaican Champs, Calabar ran 3:10.61, Camperdown 3:13.43, JC 3:14.68, Herbert Morrison 3:14.74 and Wolmer’s Boys 3:16.53.
Long Beach Poly again looms as a threat in this event. Poly won Arcadia in 3:14.63 and also won the National Scholastic indoor meet in March. In 2006 Poly ran 3:12.12, third-best in the U.S.
South Shore (Brooklyn), which was third in that race, won the Florida Relays in 3:16.20. DeMatha (Md.) ran 3:14.52 a year ago, the fastest time in the East for the season, and 3:16.48 indoors. Simon Gratz of Philadelphia, fourth in the Championship last year at 3:14.55, returns with its fine anchor, Khaliff Featherstone.
A number of other teams with sub-3:20 potential loom, including Archbishop Carroll of Washington; Lexington, Mass.; Camden, Franklin Township, Monmouth Regional, Willingboro and Pleasantville of New Jersey; Western Branch, Norcom, Deep Creek and Bethel of Virginia; Cumberland Valley, Glen Mills and Harrisburg, Pa.; Baldwin and Newburgh Free Academy, N.Y., Oxon Hill and Eleanor Roosevelt, Md.; Homestead, Fla.; El Dorado of Trinidad; and Tabernacle of the Bahamas.
The distance relays are wide open.
In the 4×800, the leading time in the indoor season belonged to Eleanor Roosevelt of suburban Maryland, which ran 7:49.90 in New York in February at the New Balance Collegiate and later won the Nike Indoor. The National Scholastic Indoor winner was Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) in 7:52.92. Pleasantville (N.J.) and North Penn (Pa.) both ran 7:54 indoors. North Penn was third a year ago in 7:46.38, behind Holmwood Tech and Gratz.
Holmwood is considered a contender again along with three other Jamaican squads: Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Kingston College. Other domestic contenders include La Salle College of Philadelphia, Pine Bush (N.Y.) and Jackson Memorial (N.J.).
The DMR could feature Colts Neck (N.J.) and its star miler, Craig Forys. Forys won the Nike Indoor 2-mile this winter and ran 4:09 last year in the mile. When his team ran 10:18.56 this winter, it was in large measure due to his 4:05 anchor.
He could have a lot of teams to chase, including The Collegiate School of New York City, led by Chris Williams (10:18.15); Warwick Valley (N.Y.), 10:20.73; St. Benedict’s Prep of Newark, N.J., led by Brandon Jarrett (10:18.34); Old Bridge (N.J.), second to Glastonbury (Conn.) at the National Scholastic Indoors in 10:15.84; Curtis and Monsignor Farrell, both of Staten Island, N.Y.; Coatesville, Pa.; Shaker (N.Y.); and Xaverian, Mass., anchored by Mark Amirault who has run 4:11 (10:20.77).
Written by: Jack Pfeifer
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
Courtesy of:
Tags: boys high school relay preview, jack pfeifer, Penn Relays, penn relays preview
Leave a Reply
The Final Sprint