History makers - Calabar dominate Penn Relays in historic fashion

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

Green and black ruled supreme at yesterday's final day of the 124th staging of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, as the Red Hills Road-based Calabar High were in fantastic form, creating history, by winning three relays, the 4x100 metres, 4x400m, and 4x800m, with the latter two in record runs.

Assistant coach Omar Hawes, who earlier predicted a clean sweep, was elated with his team's dominating performances.

"The 4x400 metres performance today (yesterday) was very special, as I knew they had a fast time in their legs, and this time is indeed very special. Preparation coming into Penns was excellent and once (Carpenter) was fit, it was a foregone conclusion," said Hawes.

Calabar, 39.51 seconds, started the day on a positive note in the 4x100m, with the team of Rosean Young, Christopher Taylor, Tyreke Wilson, and De'Jour Russell, turning back the challenge of Kingston College, while posting the second fastest time in the Penn Relays history, in the event. Kingston College, 40.13, and Jamaica College, 40.47, finished second and third, while the other Jamaican teams in the final, Papine, 40.86, and St Jago, 40.88 seconds, ended fifth and sixth, respectively. St Elizabeth Technical failed to finish.

Their second win of the day, came in fine style, as they smashed the old record of 7:30.67, set in 2009 by Ablemerie out of Virginia, with a new mark of 7:26.09 in the 4x800m, with St Elizabeth Technical, finishing second in 7:27.54 - also inside the old record. Jamaica College ended third in 7:32.32.

Their win was set up by a splendid third leg by Kimar Farqhuarson, who clocked 1:50.60 to give teammate Rivaldo Marshall enough cushion to hold off a charging Jauvaney James of St Elizabeth Technical, who was timed in 1:48.47.

Calabar saved the best for the final event for high school teams - the 4x400 metres - erasing their own one year old record by over six seconds.

NO-NONSENSE MOOD

With Malik James King giving them a slight lead at the start, Carpenter turned up the throttle to give Shemar Chambers a healthy lead. He increased the lead to give Taylor the stick with a strong advantage. Taylor was in a no-nonsense mood, as he had the large crowd in a frenzy with a blistering run, and was timed in 44.84 seconds, as Calabar stopped the clock at an amazing 3:03.79 - the fastest time ever by a schoolboy team in the event.

Petersfield finished second in 3:09.50, ahead of Kingston College, 3:09.69. Jamaica College were fourth in 3:10.29; Holmwood fifth in 3:11.35; Edwin Allen sixth in 3:13.37, and Rhodes Hall eight in 3:22.44.

Yesterday also saw two individual wins for Jamaican athletes in jumping events, with Kingston College's Wayne Pinnock leading the way with a record mark in the boy's long jump, winning with 7.88 metres to erase former Calabar athlete Maurice Wignall's 7.68m, set in 1994. Calabar's Alexander Thompson was second with 7.47m. Cornwall College's Owayne Evans captured the triple jump, with a mark of 15.25m, as Malik Cunningham of Jamaica College was second with 15.14m.