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#Penns2022 | Edwin Allen set for fast time in 4x100m

Published:Friday | April 29, 2022 | 12:11 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
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Members of the Edwin Allen High School sprint relay team who ran the fastest time in the heats at the Penn Relays yesterday. From left: Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall, Sheneque Vassell and Tia Clayton. Vassell will be replaced by Serena Cole for today’s final
Robert Bailey
Members of the Edwin Allen High School sprint relay team who ran the fastest time in the heats at the Penn Relays yesterday. From left: Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall, Sheneque Vassell and Tia Clayton. Vassell will be replaced by Serena Cole for today’s final.
Members of the Hydel High School sprint relay team who ran the second fastest time going into today’s final at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. From left: Oneka Wilson, Alana Reid, Kerrica Hill and Brianna Lyston.
Robert Bailey
Members of the Hydel High School sprint relay team who ran the second fastest time going into today’s final at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. From left: Oneka Wilson, Alana Reid, Kerrica Hill and Brianna Lyston.
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

All eyes will be fixed on the clock this afternoon when defending champions Edwin Allen High School compete in the final of the Championship of America 4x100 metres at the Franklin Field stadium on Day Two of the 2022 Penn Relays. The final is scheduled for 4:20 p.m. (3:20p.m. Jamaica time).

Edwin Allen, who are the fastest high-school 4x100m relay team in history with a time of 43.28 this season, will enter today’s highly anticipated final oozing confidence, and will be aiming for their seventh straight 4x100m win at the championships.

The Michael Dyke-coached team has World Under-20 100m champion Tina Clayton in their line-up and the quartet also includes her twin sister Tia, Brandy Hall and Serena Cole. They will enter the final with the fastest time, 44.64 seconds. Temperatures at the Penn Relays have been cool between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius (below 64 degrees Fahrenheit) and this could impact their ability to break their record at the championships.

GOING FOR GOLD

However, Dyke told The Gleaner they are hoping that, by the time final begins, weather conditions would have changed significantly and this will enable his team to go after their world record.

“It depends on the conditions and so, once the conditions are up to scratch, then you are going to see something special from us,” said Dyke. “We are very confident because we have three members of the world record team, and so they are not worried. They just want to execute properly and we will be good,” he said.

They are expected to be strongly challenged in the final by rivals Hydel High School, who hold the second-fastest time of 46.37 entering the final. The Hydel team comprises Brianna Lyston, who is the fastest Jamaican junior over 100m this season with a time of 11.14 seconds, Kerrica Hill, Alana Reid and Oneka Wilson.

Also in the final are Holmwood Technical High, Immaculate Conception High, St Jago High and St Catherine High.

The sprint relay final is one of three that the Jamaicans are down to contest today. Hydel lead all qualifiers into the final of the 4x400m after winning their heat yesterday in three minutes 39.34 seconds. They expected to be challenged by Holmwood, who have the second fastest time of 3:41.95. The other leading qualifiers are the Bullis School (3:43.59), Edwin Allen (3:45.30), St Jago (3:49.50) and Excelsior High (3:51.15).

Edwin Allen and Holmwood will run in the Championship of America 4x800m relay final. Edwin Allen, who are the fastest Jamaica high school team in the event this year, will enter the final with the second-fastest time after they finished second in their preliminary round heat in 9:13.89.

The race was won by Union Catholic out of New Jersey in 9:13.08. Holmwood, who won their heat in 9:23.48, will enter the final with the third-fastest time. The event is expected to start at 3:55 p.m. (2:55 p.m. Jamaica time).