Hydel excites in STETHS Invit. 4x800m
Published:Tuesday | January 30, 2018 | 12:00 AMHubert Lawrence/Gleaner Writer
Hydel High School upset Edwin Allen High School in a thrilling 4x800 metres clash at last Saturday's STETHS Invitational. With Charokee Young giving Hydel a strong start, the Corey Bennett-coached team fought off a determined Edwin Allen squad in front of an enthusiastic Santa Cruz crowd. The encounter was one of the highlights of the meet.
Third in the Boys and Girls' Championships Class Two 800 metres, Young stormed the first leg in two minutes 12.4 seconds, and though Edwin Allen made up ground, thanks to Kara Grant on the second leg, Hydel held the upper hand. Multitalented hurdler/high jumper Shian Salmon put Hydel in the lead for good and Monifa Green, the reigning Class One 1,500 metres and open 3,000 metres champion, set off with a big lead on the final leg.
In pursuit was another
double gold medallist from Championships last year, Rushana Dwyer. The Class Three 800m and 1500m winner had run down Chrisanni May of Holmwood the previous Saturday to win the Central Hurdles and Relays 4x800 for Edwin Allen and she closed the gap, but could not catch Green. The unofficial times were 9 minutes 07.4 seconds for the winning team and 9 minutes 08.0 seconds for Edwin Allen.
Salmon, the 2017 Class One high jump champion, said, "we just went out there and did what we were told to do, and we told each other that as long as we gave our best, we knew we would come out victorious." Asked what coach Bennett advised them to do, she related, "he told us just to go out not too fast and just save enough to go home."
The victory may herald the arrival of a new middle-distance power to rival the traditional queens from Edwin Allen, the top team at last year's Gibson-McCook Relays, and Holmwood, the 2017 Penn Relays 4x800m winners.
Salmon and Green also had individual victories at STETHS. Salmon was the fastest 400-metre hurdler with her time of 61.27 seconds. Green was the quickest performer in the Class One 1500m. Her time was 4 minutes 45.07 seconds.
The host school won the boys' 4x800m easily in 8 minutes 01.0 seconds.