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#penns2022 | ‘Icing on the cake’

- KC end Penn Relays covered in 1600 metres of glory - JC close with expected 4x800 win

Published:Sunday | May 1, 2022 | 12:11 AMRobert Bailey - Gleaner Writer

The Kingston College 4x400-metre relay team celebrate winning the Championship of America event at the Penn Relays yesterday.
The Kingston College 4x400-metre relay team celebrate winning the Championship of America event at the Penn Relays yesterday.

PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia:

Kingston College’s (KC) head coach Leaford Grant has described his team victory in the 4x400m relay at the Penn Relays inside the Franklin Field stadium yesterday as “icing on the cake”.

KC turned in a spectacular performance as the team of Amal Glasgow, Shaemar Uter, Emmanuel Rwotomiya and Marchino Rose clocked an impressive three minutes 09.52 seconds to win the event.

In fact, KC’s time has now ranked them seventh all time on the Penn Relays list. The Bullis School from Maryland was second in 3:11.90, while third went to St Jago in 3:12.09.

KC were runners-up to Jamaica College (JC) at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championship, and again finished behind St Jago at the Gibson McCook Relays this year.

Here at Penns, KC were determined not to be bridesmaids.

“I think that we did well because we planned for this one,” said Grant.

“We didn’t have a 4x100m team, so we put some on the 4x400 team and I am very happy that we came out on top,” he said.

PROGRESSING WELL

“This team has been doing well because we did well at the Gibson Relays and so we have been progressing well. And so this performance tops a great season for us after winning the Boys’ Championships,” said Grant.

Grant’s projections meant there was no surprise when the team clocked the extremely fast time.

“We expected this time because, this morning [yesterday morning] in the heats, we ran 3:11.41. So we expected, once it gets a little warmer, we will deliver, and we did that,” Grant said.

Earlier, Camperdown High School clipped the Championship of America 4x100m relay after a blanket finish.

The team of Rimando Thomas, Junior Harris, Jason Lewis, and Roshawn Clarke (in that order) won the event in a season’s best 40.13 seconds. Jamaica College finished second in 40.16, and third went to St Jago High School in 40.17.

Camperdown coach Okeile Stewart said there were no surprises for him either, only rewards.

“This victory is very pleasing and rewarding for us,” he said.

“We have been training strong all year for this moment, and we have gotten it and I am very satisfied.”

JC capped off a fine day at the Championships for Jamaicans when they won the 4x800m relay in 7:28.38. Ridge from New Jersey was second in 7:41.59 while third went to West Spring Field of Virginia in 7:45.11.