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Field event boys deliver five-star performance - Jamaican high schools make impressive start on Penn Relays’ opening day
April 25, 2025
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA:
In what was one of, if not the warmest opening days at the Penn Relays, yesterday's 129th staging inside the Franklin Field Stadium saw temperatures in the high-70s Fahrenheit -- and so too were the performances of the Jamaican high school boys in the field events.
In what was possibly one of the most outstanding single-day field event showings ever for Jamaica, it was five wins out of six for the island, led by two recent Carifta Games under-20 gold medallists, Kingston College's (KC) Despiro Wray and (JC) Jamaica College's Chavez Penn.
Wray kicked off the winning run for the Jamaicans by producing a massive throw of 20.87m to win the Championship of America shot put. Devonte Edward of Munro College finished second with 19.78m, and Marlando Ferguson of Cornwall College placed third with 19.67m.
Wray was thrilled with his performance.
"The competition was great out there; the guys were very competitive, but in the end I came out with the win. I was very confident in what I was doing, very focused," he said.
"Thanks to my coach, I'm very pleased to finish my high school career on a high," said Wray, who is looking forward to attending college in the fall.
REDEMPTION
After disappointments at both the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships and the recent Carifta Games -- where he failed to make either finals -- it was sweet redemption for St Elizabeth Technical High School's Ricoy Hunter in the boys' long jump. On his fifth attempt, Hunter jumped 7.40m to win the event, finishing ahead of Calabar's Romaine Lewis, who jumped 7.22m.
"After disappointments at Champs and Carifta, I'm very happy to have redeemed myself at the Penn Relays. I was determined to win and make up for those mishaps, and it paid off," said Hunter.
"My coach wasn't there, but I listened to the assistant coach, and his advice paid off."
Like Wray, another Carifta champion, JC's Penn, continued his winning streak, taking the Championship of America high jump after clearing 2.09m.
There was another win for JC through Michael Andre Edwards. Coming off a silver medal in the under-20 triple jump at the Carifta Games, Edwards soared to 15.95m to take gold. Wolmer's Boys' Nicardo Grey Clarke also made the podium, finishing third with 14.82m.
Edwin Allen High's Addison James secured the fifth win of the day for Jamaica, in the boys' javelin throw, landing a winning mark of 65.98m. Munro's Ojay Ellis took second with 59.14m, while Calabar's Terrique Daley placed fourth.
In the final field event of the day involving Jamaican athletes, JC's Joseph Salmon placed second in the shot put with a throw of 61.64m. A recent Carifta winner in the same event, Salmon was bested only by Ashton Hearn of Christian Brothers High of Tennessee, who won with a throw of 64.30m.
Calabar's Kamari Kennedy, the recent Austin Sealy Award winner at the Carifta Games, ended fifth with 59.32m.
- R.G.
