PHILADELPHIA, United States: Jamaican schools dominate final day of Penn Ralays ...O’Hara sparks Calabar double as Calabar break meet record to cop High School Boys' 4x100m title at Penns ...As UTech, STETHS also taste success

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer senior reporter  Sunday, April 26, 2015    

PHILADELPHIA, United States — Super athlete Michael O'Hara led Calabar to two High School Championship of America titles, while the University of Technology (UTech) continued their impressive showing as Jamaicans once again had a lot to cheer about on the final day at the 121st Penn Relay Carnival at Franklin Field in Pennsylvania.

Calabar Boys

O'Hara, who convinced a Pennsylvania court to grant an injunction barring the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) from blocking his participation in the High School section of the meet at the 11th hour on Thursday, produced a splendid second leg and propelled Calabar to a record 39.63 seconds in the 4x100, dipping below Jamaica College's 39.72 set last year. The quartet of Zandre Blake, O'Hara, Jullanie Walker and Seanie Selvin held off St Jago, who were second in 39.89 seconds. St George's College were third with 40.17 seconds. Kingston College (KC) who went into the final with the fastest time, saw their hopes dashed when Akeem Bloomfield pulled up on the second leg, and although he was able to hand over the baton, the 'Purples' failed to finish the race.

O'Hara then anchored Calabar to an easy victory in the 4x400m in 3:09.97 minutes, cruising to a 46.68-second leg, which was actually the third fastest on the Calabar team. Akeem Francis (46.3) and Renado Wilson (46.57) did enough for O'Hara to run a relaxed and controlled leg to victory.

In the collegiate section, howling favourites UTech with Andrew Fisher, Julian Forte, Kemarley Brown and Tyquendo Tracey retained their 4x100m title in 39.27 seconds ahead of Texas A&M with 39.56 seconds. GC Foster were third in 40.26 seconds.

Forte returned for his second championship crown, anchoring UTech to an easy win in the 4x200m in 1.20.97 minutes, easing down at the finish ahead of GC Foster in 1:23.02 minutes. In fact, the UTech quartet of Forte, Andrew Fisher, Kemarley Brown and Kavean Smith went faster than the Jamaican team of Jermaine Brown, Rasheed Dwyer, Jason Livermore and Oshane Bailey, that finished second to the Americans in 1:21.45 minutes earlier.

The Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Jason Livermore and Asafa Powell clocked 38.88 seconds to finish second to the Americans in 38.66 seconds. The Americans were led by a magnificent second-leg run by Justin Gatlin, who blew away Frater in no uncertain manner, leaving Asafa Powell with too much to do on the anchor leg, as Ryan Bailey held on fairly comfortably.

more