Carifta field event champions seek glory in ‘Philly’

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

Three champions from the recent Carifta Games in Trinidad and Tobago will highlight participants in field events when the 129th staging of the Penn Relays begins today.

Action begins at 8 a.m. Jamaica time, with the Championships of America boys' discus. Jamaica College's (JC) Joseph Salmon, who won gold at the Carifta Games with a throw of 56.82m, will lead six Jamaican high school throwers.

Salmon, who placed fifth in the event last year with a 54.84-metre throw while competing for his former school, Clarendon College, will be hoping to maintain his impressive form this season and remain unbeaten. Dylan Logan of Kingston College (KC), who finished second at Carifta with 52.57m while competing for Grenada, will be looking to upstage Salmon.

Also set for the showdown are Daijon Budhai of KC, Delon Smith of Calabar High, Rajay Hemmings of St Catherine High and Rajeen Steele of Munro College.

Carifta Under-20 shot put champion Despiro Wray of KC will be among four Jamaican high school athletes contesting the event at 8:30 a.m. Wray, who won with a throw of 19.66m, will be joined by second-place finisher Deandre Edwards of Munro College. Edwards' teammate Javantae Smith, along with Marlando Ferguson of Cornwall College, will also be in action.

JC's Chavez Penn, who struck gold in the boys' Under 20 triple jump at Carifta with 16.14m, will compete in the high jump at 9 a.m. He will be joined by the KC duo of Aaron McKenzie and Tejahni Haynes, along with Santino Distin of Herbert Morrison Technical.

Michael Andre Edwards of JC, who placed second behind Penn in the Under-20 triple jump at Carifta with 15.66m, will contest the event that starts at 11 a.m. He will be joined by Nicardo Grey Clarke of Wolmer's Boys' School, who was second in the event last year with 14.32m.

The javelin is the other field event scheduled for today, with three Jamaican high school athletes set to compete - Terrique Daley of Calabar, Jayvani Neckles of JC, and Alexander Betancourt of KC.

- R.G.