Hydel High successfully defended their High School Girls Championships of America 4x100m relay title, as Jamaican schools swept the podium on day two of the 128^th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.

The team comprising Shemonique Hazel, Alliah Baker, Shania Myers and Jody-Ann Daley, clocked 44.71s in victory, as they fended off the challenge of Edwin Allen’s quartet Trezeguet Taylor, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, Renecia Edwards and Jounee Armstrong of Edwin Allen, who clocked 44.96s. St Jago's team of Briana Campbell, Adora Campbell, Bryana Davidson and Quanna Walker, placed third in 45.14s.

Hydel’s captain Baker beamed with delight at the feat.

“We came out here to win and we executed we always say that we are one team, we are here for each other and so we just came out and delivered. We were confident, so we just told each other to stay calm and trust God,” she said shortly after the race.

Munro College’s Chad Hendricks and JC’s Chavez Penn and Balvin Israel all secured wins on day two of the 128^th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.

Hendricks, a silver medallist at both the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships and the Carifta Games, threw an excellent 66.17m to take top spot in the High School Boys’ discus ahead of Bergen Catholic’s Benjamin Shue (61.55m) and Christian Brothers’ Ashton Hearn (58.42m).

Penn, who won the high jump and triple jump double at both the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships and Carifta Games, produced 15.38m to comfortably win the triple jump ahead of Wolmer’s Boys’ Nicardo Grey-Clarke (14.52m) and Cornwall College’s Obrien Bowen (14.49m).

Israel added to his long jump gold medal at Champs with 7.24m to take top spot Friday. KC’s Nathan Wade, who took silver at Champs, was once again second with 7.09m while Calvert Hall College’s Antoine McNair Jr was third with 7.09m.

A host of Jamaican schools will line up in the final of the High School Boys Championships of America 4x100m final, as they successfully navigated the qualifiers on day two of the 128th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.

Leading the qualifiers was the Excelsior quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green, which clocked a brisk 40.62 seconds to top their heat.

They will be joined by local rivals Kingston College (41.30s), St Jago (41.35s), St George’s College (41.42s), Calabar High (41.70s) and Jamaica College (41.73s), and Wolmer’s Boys (41.84s). The other two lanes in the medal event will be occupied by Washington DC-based Archbishop John Carroll (41.49s) and Virginia-based West Springfield (41.77s).

Meanwhile, the High School Boys International final, also scheduled for Saturday, will see six Jamaican schools going up against those from Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines and The Bahamas, respectively.

St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) headlines that field, after they posted the fastest qualifying time of 42.26s, followed by Cornwall College (42.53s) and the Bahamian school Queens College (42.61s). St Benedict’s, of out the twin island republic, and Munro College, both clocked 42.83s, while St Vincent Grammar (43.11s), Petersfield (43.14s), St Catherine (43.26s) and Vere Technical (43.55s), are the other qualifiers.

Speculation surrounding the participation of five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah at the highly anticipated USATF Bermuda Grand Prix has been dispelled by her agent, Marvin Anderson of Andi Sports Management. Despite earlier excitement and anticipation, Thompson-Herah was never officially booked or confirmed for the track meet scheduled for this Sunday at the Flora Duffy Stadium.

The revelation comes after recent reports sparked fervent anticipation among fans, particularly within Bermuda's Jamaican community, who were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to witness the "fastest woman alive" compete alongside other elite Caribbean athletes.

Yackeisha Weir, president of the Jamaican Association of Bermuda (JAB), expressed the community's high expectations and emphasized the honor of hosting Thompson-Herah ahead of the Paris Olympics. However, Anderson's statement to Sportsmax.TV on Friday shattered these hopes, clarifying that Thompson-Herah's presence at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix was never confirmed.

"She was never booked. She was never confirmed," Anderson asserted, addressing the confusion surrounding Thompson-Herah's potential appearance.

“I asked the meet organizers if they had put out something and they said no, so I don’t know where that was leaked from. I know they had an interest way back, but no.”

Despite this setback, Anderson assured fans that Thompson-Herah has been diligently training and is gearing up for a successful upcoming season. While Thompson-Herah's name was notably absent from the start lists for Sunday's meet, other Jamaican athletes, including Alana Reid and Kemba Nelson, are set to showcase their talents in the 100m event. Ashanti Moore is the only Jamaican down to contest the 200m.

Jamaican track & field powerhouses Jamaica College and Kingston College both secured spots in the final of the High School Boys 4x800m on day two of the 128^th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.

JC’s quartet of Nellie Amberton, Samuel Creary, Rasheed Pryce and Kemarrio Bygrave combined to qualify fastest with a time of 7:45.38.

KC (Schevorn Wardlow, Nahashon Ruto, Brian Kiprop, Jaquan Coke) ran 7:53.86 to finish second in their heat and advance as the eighth fastest school overall.

As they continue their preparations for Jamaica’s national championships in June, Olympic champion Omar McLeod and World Championship silver medallist Britany Anderson, were both winners at a La Fratellanza 1874 meeting in Italy on Thursday.

McLeod, who celebrated his 30^th birthday on Thursday, won the 100m in a brisk 10.32 in a race that also included Britain’s Adam Gemili. Obviously elated over his victory, the 2017 world champion, declared on Instagram, “A win today in the 100m was all I had on my birthday wish list.

“10.32 in an ankle freezing 15-degree weather is a solid opener. Beyond excited for what is to come this season.”

Meanwhile, Anderson, in only her second hurdles race back from injury and knee surgery that saw her miss the entire 2023 season, clocked 13.34 into a 1.4 m/s headwind in a dominant victory in which she widened her lead at each hurdle.

As the meeting concluded on Thursday, things are looking up for the Jamaican sprint hurdlers looking to reclaim their places among Jamaica's elite as the Olympics approach this summer.

Contrary to recent reports that five-time Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah would be making her season debut at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix on Sunday, the athlete’s name does not appear on any of the start lists for the event.

Checks by Sportsmax.TV indicate that Thompson-Herah is not listed in the 100m or 200m events at the meet where several other Caribbean athletes are down to compete. According to the start lists published on the meet’s results page, Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson and Alana Reid are set to contest the 100m in a quality field that also includes Tamari Davis and Javianne Oliver of the United States.

In the 200m, Ashanti Moore is the only Jamaican listed.

Meanwhile, Stacy-Ann Williams, Rushell Clayton and Junelle Bromfield, are the Jamaicans listed for the 400m.

Just recently BerNews reported that anticipation is palpable among Bermuda's Jamaican community, with Yackeisha Weir, president of the Jamaican Association of Bermuda (JAB), expecting a strong showing of support for Thompson-Herah at the Flora Duffy Stadium. Weir emphasized the significance of Thompson-Herah's presence, particularly with the upcoming Paris Olympics on the horizon.

"The anticipation is high this year, especially as we have the fastest woman alive competing," said Weir in an interview with BerNews. "With the Olympic Games taking place this summer, Bermuda has a chance to see a preview of Paris. It’s an honour to have Elaine on the island."

However, based on the start lists that have now been published that anticipation among the Jamaican community would have been for naught.

The excitement is building for the upcoming Jamaica Athletics Invitational, set to take place on May 11 at the National Stadium in Kingston, as 2016 Olympic 400m hurdles champion Dalilah Muhammad joins the list of confirmed international stars for the event. Muhammad, a former world record holder and two-time world champion, brings her stellar track record to Kingston following her silver medal performance at the Tokyo Games.

Alongside Muhammad, a host of emerging Jamaican talents will also grace the track, including standout sprinters Alana Reid, Briana Williams, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, and Sandrey Davison.

Reid has been training alongside World 100m champion Sha'Carri Richardson in Florida and will be looking to make an early statement on her form leading into the national championships in June.

Williams, under the mentorship of distinguished coach John Smith in California, is an Olympic sprint relay gold medalist and a two-time World Championship silver medallist who is eager for a return to form.

Nkrumie, who last year became the first Jamaican schoolboy to break the 10-second barrier, and Davison, both formidable sprinters in their own right, add depth to sprint line up with Davison currently holding the title of fastest Jamaican over 100m this year.

Marvin Anderson, Athletes' Liaison for the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, expressed his enthusiasm for the calibre of athletes set to compete. "We are pleased with the confirmed list to date and excited about the level of competition the athletes and fans should experience," he remarked.

Anticipation is high for a thrilling series of events both on the track and in the field.

Tickets for the May 11 event are already available online, with ticket locations opening on May 4. Grandstand tickets are priced at $3,000, while bleacher seating is free of charge. The meet is scheduled to run from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm, followed by an after-party to celebrate an evening of world-class athletics.

The Jamaica Athletics Invitational promises to deliver top-notch competition and showcase the immense talent within the track and field community. With international stars like Dalilah Muhammad and rising Jamaican sensations like Alana Reid and Briana Williams, fans can expect an unforgettable evening of athletic prowess at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Caribbean athletes showcased their prowess in the field on the opening day of the 128^th edition of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Thursday. Chief among them were the Jamaicans who enjoyed podium places in the high jump and triple jump events with the Bahamas taking gold in the javelin.

Shaniqua Williams and Danielle Noble, both of Wolmer’s Girls, secured a 1-2 finish in the keenly contested high school girls high jump. Williams’ winning mark of 1.73m was also cleared by Noble and Alysa Carrigan.

However, she won on the basis of a cleaner record during the rounds.

Williams said it was cold and her muscles were lazy but she knew what she had to do to win.

“Despite that I came out here and did what I had to do which was focus on my technique,” she said. “The weather was very cold and I am not used to this kind of weather so I had to take a long time to warm up.”

The Jamaicans were not alone in their dominance as Taysha Stubbs who attends Queens College in the Bahamas showcased her incredible skill and strength in winning the high school girls javelin with an outstanding throw of 47.17m.

Stubbs was several metres better than her main rivals in Sophia Scott of Omaha Burke, who took second place with a throw of 44.79m. In a close third place was Eliana Schneider who produced a best mark of 44.78m.

Jamaicans Marla-Kay Lampart and Kimeka Smith were second and third, respectively in the high school girls shot put that was won by Jessica Oji of Livingston with an impressive throw of 14.01m.

Lampart of Claredon College threw 13.64m for second place while Smith mustered a throw of 13.46m for third place.

Jamaica’s girls won the top four places in the high school girls triple jump competition.

Jade-Ann Dawkins of St Jago finished atop the podium with a distance of 13.01m. Jadea Robinson of Immaculate Conception was in second position with her jump of 12.70m just ahead of Celine Riddle of Holmwood Technical (12.69m).

Richelle Stanley of St Elizabeth Technical (12.55m) was fourth.

Nahjahda Seymoure of Excelsior High threw an impressive 48.08m to finish in second position in the high school girls discus competition that was won by Layla Giordano of NV Old Tappan who hurled the implement out to a winning mark of 51.17m.

Able Mills of St Catherine High threw 48.01m for third place.

Mills’ teammate Rohanna Sudlow jumped 5.83m to finish in third place in the high school girls long jump.

Jamaica's rising triple jump sensation Jaydon Hibbert is set for his professional debut at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix this Sunday.

From holding both the indoor and outdoor NCAA records to becoming the first Jamaican and the youngest athlete to win the coveted Bowerman Award, Hibbert's journey has been an exciting display of exceptional talent in the jumps. He eagerly awaits the Bermuda Grand Prix this Sunday,

"Finally, I'll be opening my season. I'm grateful and happy that I am ready to compete and I'm excited to see where I am in my preparations. I've never visited Bermuda before, but I expect it to be fun. I've heard it's an electrifying stadium, which jumpers need, so I look forward to the crowd support," he exclaimed.

The 19-year-old won the gold medal at the 2022 World U20 championships and is the holder of the U20 indoor and outdoor triple jump world records at 17.54m and 17.87m, respectively. He went undefeated during his freshman year at the University of Arkansas in 2023 before transitioning to the professional ranks in January.

"Since I started doing the sport, I've been looking forward to competing professionally. I can't wait to get out there and make my coach and family proud. I'm praying for a great season!" he exclaimed hardly able to contain his excitement.

The Bermuda Grand Prix, also known as the "Prelude to Paris", will start at 3 pm Jamaica time at the Flora Duffy Stadium. Action is live on Peacock via NBC Sports.

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Hydel High, Wolmer’s Girls, St. Jago High, Edwin Allen High, Holmwood Technical and St. Mary High all secured spots in the Championship of America High School Girls 4x100m final on day one of the 2024 Penn Relays at franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Hydel’s team of Alliah Baker, Shania Myers, Shemonique Hazle and Juwonna Whitehorne combined to run 45.99 to win heat 13 and advance with the fastest time overall.

Holmwood Technical (Regina Bailey, Kiara Meikle, Sadeena Holder, Monique Proudlove) combined to run 46.38 and advance as winners of the ninth heat ahead of St. Mary High (Akeeliah Barnes, Kaliesha Bell, Shagay Sheppy, Tianna Rhoomes) who also made it through with 46.46.

St. Jago High (Rae-Annia Williams, Kryshell Hoolong, Seanagaye Leslie, Tamara Bailey) with 46.55, Edwin Allen (Trezeguet Taylor, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, Jounee Armstrong, Shanique Cassanova) with 46.59 and Wolmer’s Girls (Mikayla Gardner, Tianna Marshall, Natrece East, Abigayle Wolfe) with 46.72 will also be in Friday’s final.

Hydel are defending champions in the event.

As the battles of high schools at the 128th staging of the Penn Relays got underway at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Thursday, Edwin Allen High, Alphansus Davis High and Holmwood Technical have advanced to the finals of the 4x800m relays.

The team of Rickeisha Simms, Monqie Stewart, Horecia Love and Tonian Allen clocked a time of 9:04.67 to win their heat and advance as one of the 12 fastest teams heading into the final. Purdue Academy were the runners up in the heat with a time of 9:09.66.

Third in the heat were IMG Academy that were timed in 9:12.13.

Meanwhile, Alphansus Davis High (Tabbrel Williams, Alikay Reynolds, Allecia Johnson, Carlene Temple) finished third in their heat in 9:06.25, a time that also saw them advance to the finals.

Their heat was won by Union Athletic who clocked 9:02.27, the fastest time heading into the finals. Second was Rumson Fair-Haven in 9:04.48.

Holmwood Technical (Terrica Clarke, Cindy Rose, Jovi Rose, Florence Nafamba) just managed to make it with their time of 9:18.65, which saw them finish second in their heat behind winners Guilderland (9:18.25).

West Indian batting legend Chris Gayle has spoken about the time Jamaican spring king Usain Bolt got his wicket in a friendly game which led the hard-hitting batsman to challenge the sprinter to a race.

“Till this day, he’s still afraid of me. Doesn’t want to see me on a 100m track,” Gayle tells ICC in a new video released by cricket’s world governing body before breaking into a laugh.

“Of course, I’m a sprinter. All Usain Bolt will be seeing is a lot of dust and the Universe Boss just going down the stretch,” Gayle added.

In response, Bolt said “we all know Chris can’t run. We have seen him. We know Chris doesn’t do quick singles or anything. We’re not worried about Chris.”

Responding to this, Gayle said, “that’s a big lie. I run a lot of ones, twos, threes, you name it… sometimes even fours. So, Bolt, get your running spikes ready. And if you want to bring any other athlete along, you know, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, anybody. Somebody gonna come fourth. And it’s not me!”

Talking about Bolt taking his wicket, Gayle said that the incident had happened at a charity match where Bolt had bowled a “damn good bouncer” at him, following which he told himself to not hold back at the “fun game.”

“After the bouncer I said to myself, it’s a fun game. What am I doing? So, I start smashing him. Hit him for one or two sixes and probably for a few fours. Then, eventually, I get an inside edge onto the stumps,” said Gayle.

 Gayle and Bolt are both ambassadors for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA from June 1-29.

Winning a first global individual medal at last year’s World Championships whetted Zharnel Hughes’s appetite for more success, and so it comes as no surprise that the Anguillan-born Great Britain sprint sensation is strongly optimistic about clinching a medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

In fact, if Hughes’s confidence to top his performances from last year is anything to go by, then he could very well accomplish the feat, provided he maintains a clean bill of health throughout the season.

During last year’s electrifying campaign, which ended with his World Championships bronze in the men’s 100m final, Hughes broke Olympic champion Linford Christie’s 100m British national record when he clocked a personal best 9.83 seconds at the New York Grand Prix, in June.

A month later, at the UK Athletics Championship, Hughes ran a brisk 19.77s, which is faster than John Regis’s national 200m record, but the time was wind-aided and, as such, was recognised as a record. However, Hughes, with his superb form, inevitably established a new record when he clocked a wind-legal 19.73s at the London Diamond League.

With that in mind, coupled with his relentless work ethic and resolute pursuit of excellence, Hughes is poised to make another significant impact on the world stage this year. Whether or not it will be an Olympic gold medal triumph is left to be seen.

“It's the Olympic year, so obviously you want to better what you did last year. I'm happy with how last year turned out for me, and this year is very much more exciting. I'm preparing myself nicely. I'm feeling fit and ready to go. Obviously as an athlete, you want to lower your personal best every year, but unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work out like that. But I'm definitely aiming to lower my personal best both in the 100m and 200m,” Hughes declared.

“I'm in good shape and I’m excited. I've definitely counted myself as one of them (athletes) to be reckoned with (for an Olympic gold medal). I'm never going to count myself out now because you've seen what happened last year, and I'm excited to top my performance from last year,” he added.

Though he 48.25s in a 400m run in February, followed by a 20.40s-clocking in March, the 28-year-old pointed out that he is yet to really hit top gear in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games, but is aiming to do so at the sixth edition of the Racers Grand Prix, on June 1, at Jamaica's National Stadium.

At the Racers Grand Prix, Hughes will line up alongside Racers Track Club teammate Oblique Seville and American World champion Noah Lyles in the 100m, which he considers a good prelude for what could come at the Paris Games.

“I'm looking forward to it, I was listening for who was going to be there; Oblique and I have been training pretty good and I know both of us representing coach Glen Mills, will be bringing it on the day. So, I look forward to who's in the field, especially with Lyles being there,” Hughes said.

“This race is to get you prepared for what's to come later in the summer. So, to have great competition like that at the Racers Grand Prix is just a great indicator to see where we're at, and what we can tweak going into our national trials, because my trials will be the latter part of June. So, for me, I'm looking forward to this race and the following week I'll have the European Championships as well. So, it'll be a great indicator for me,” he shared.

Working tirelessly under the watchful eyes of decorated coach Mills, Hughes, a four-time European Champion, has upped the ante in the gym to improve his strength, as he is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for Olympic glory.

“My training has been going tremendously well. I'm excited to open up properly (at Racers Grand Prix) because my first race wasn't so good because I had a little niggle, but I've overcome that now and I'm very excited to see what's there. I've worked on my strength a lot, physically, I'm a lot stronger and I just want to keep on top of my mental health as well,” Hughes revealed.

“Those things are very crucial going into an Olympic year, so you have to be very focused. You have to ensure that your body is properly fit as well in order to go there to give the best that you're looking for. So, I'm pretty sharp on keeping my mental focus up and ensuring that I'm properly recovered,” he ended.

Aaron Robison, the Meet Director of the Penn Relays, is brimming with excitement ahead of the Championship of America 4x400m relays for High School Boys, set to unfold at Franklin Field over the next three days. The 128th staging of the prestigious meet begins on Thursday, April 25 and concludes on Saturday, April 27.

The meet director since 2021, Robison predicts a spectacular display of athletic talent, particularly focusing on the highly anticipated showdown in the high school boys' 4x400m relay on the final day of the meet.

"The high-school boys 4x400m is going to be unbelievable!" exclaimed Robison. "Five teams have run 3:10 or faster, four of those are Jamaican, and then you've got Bullis High School with Quincy Wilson on the anchor; I'm telling you, that story is going to write itself."

Robison highlighted Wilson from Bullis High School, whose outstanding performance at the Florida Relays with a time of 45.19 seconds has created a buzz leading up to the Penn Relays. Wilson's impressive anchor leg last year, clocking a 45.06 split, is a testament to his exceptional talent and determination.

"He is one of those kids that has this fire," Robison remarked. "If he takes the baton as the anchor and he is in third or fourth, we're going to see something special as all four or five of those teams come through. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see three or four teams run 3:05. It's going to be crazy."

Reflecting on the historical dominance of Jamaican high schools in this event, Robison acknowledged the formidable challenge facing USA high schools. The last USA high school to win the 4x400m Championship of America was Long Beach Poly back in 2007. The last 16 years have seen Jamaican schools dominate the event, and that dominance could extend into a 17th year.

Despite this, Bullis High School, boasting a recent time of 3:11.87, is poised to challenge the Jamaican powerhouses. Robison expressed optimism about Wilson's potential impact on the relay's outcome, particularly against strong competitors from schools like Kingston College (3:07.65) and Jamaica College (3:08.79), known for their impressive 4x400m relay performances.

“If he gets a baton in his hand with people to chase, who knows what he can run…whether it’s JC or even Hydel that has run 3:10, with kids that have also run 45-point, so we’re going to see something special.

"We just pray for good weather and good health," Robison concluded.