#Penns2022 | Edwin Allen, Hydel smash records in 4x100m, 4x400m

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

It was a record-breaking day for Edwin Allen High School and Hydel High School at the 2022 Penn Relays inside the Franklin Field stadium yesterday after they outclassed their rivals to win the Championship of America 4x100 metres and 4x400m, respectively, in impressive fashion.

In the Championship of America 4x100m, Edwin Allen’s team of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall and Tia Clayton, in this order, clocked 43.18 seconds to erase their previous time of 43.62 which they set in 2019. Hydel were second in 43.69 while third went to St Jago High School in 46.09.

Michael Dyke, coach of Edwin Allen, said he was not surprised by his team’s record run because they have practised very hard in their build-up to the championships.

“We had no doubt that the record would fall, by how far was our only concern but I was confident coming in that we would have broken the record,” said Dyke. “I think that our team did what was expected in terms of our execution of the race because these girls will never lose as the confidence is too high among them.”

However, after finishing runners-up to Edwin Allen in the 4x100m, Hydel returned later to shatter their own 4x400m relay record. They won the event in 3:32.77, erasing their previous mark of 3:33.99 which they set in 2017.

Hydel’s team was Brianna Lyston and Kerrica Hill who had earlier run in the 4x100m, Alliah Baker, and Onieka McAnuff. Edwin Allen were second in 3:39.76 and Bullis School from Maryland took third in 3:40.88.

Corey Bennett, head coach of Hydel, said he was very surprised by his team’s record-breaking performance because two of his girls had run in the 4x100m relay a few minutes earlier.

“No, I didn’t expect it (record) but I knew it was possible,” said Bennett. “We ran faster than the time at the Gibson Relays and so we just wanted to warm up a little and I knew that the ladies would have had a good time running out there,” he said.

SECOND VICTORY

Edwin Allen picked up their second victory on the day when they won the 4x800m relay in eight minutes 54.58 seconds. Holmwood, who were one of the favourites to win the event, failed to finish the race after their first-leg runner fell. Cuthberson from North Carolina were second in 9:04.67 with third going to Union Catholic in 9:06.14.

Meanwhile, in the field events, Kingston College’s (KC) Jaydon Hibbert won the Championship of America triple jump with a mark of 15.94. Ryan John from Valley Stream North High School in New York was second with a mark of 15.05m while Brandon Hutchinson of St Augustine’s College, Bahamas, finished third with 14.39m.

St Elizabeth Technical’s Dejone Raymond leapt to a new personal best mark of 2.05m to mine gold in the Championship of America high jump event.

He erased his previous best of 2.00m. KC’s Aaron Lawrence, who has cleared 2.13m this season, was third with a mark of 1.99m.

Damarion Potts from South Brunswick, New Jersey, who also cleared 1.99, was second on countback after achieving the height from an early jump. Edwin Allen’s Trevor Gunzell won the boys’ discus with a throw of 61.79m. Jamaica College’s Racquil Broderick was second with 59.43m. Another Edwin Allen athlete, Christopher Young, captured the discus with a throw of 19.87m. Calabar High’s Kobe Lawrence was second with a best of 19.68m.