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Yardman/Orlando
Some Jamaican Coaches Want Penn Boycott?
Thu May 3, 2007 18:18
70.152.238.124
Some Jamaican high school coaches have for some time now been quietly talking about a boycott of the Penn Relays.
They have cited the constant changing of the rules -- which they think is aimed at limiting their success -- and the buying of top athletes to come in and beat the Jamaican schools.
They have not been able to provide an iota of proof to substantiate their accusations, but they appear to be getting more support. Time will tell whether there will be a Penn Relays ban anytime soon. But if it ever happens, America's biggest and best track meet will be the poorer for the absence of the Jamaicans.
Raquel Farquharson of STETHS (left) takes off with the baton after taking it from Tiffany Harris in the heats of the High School Girls 4x100m at the Penn Relays last Thursday. STETHS advanced to the Small Schools' finals where they placed third. /Photos: Paul Reid
For on Saturday the seven Jamaican teams in the High School Boys' Championship of America 4x100m finals at the 113th Penn Relays Carnival prompted a lot of track and field fans at Franklin Field to call it the Jamaican invitational finals.
St Jago boys, led by the irrepressible Yohan Blake, won the event in a new record 39.96 seconds, the first high school team to go under 40 seconds at Penn Relays and became the 19th Jamaican team to win the sprint relays since Kingston College won it first in 1964.
As impressive as that was, the girls were even better, winning the 4x100m Championships 25 times with Vere Technical the record holders leading the way with 14 plaques, including five straight between 1996 and 2000.
Add dozens of other relay and individual titles and one starts to get an understanding of the impact the Jamaican high schools and lately the college teams have had on the oldest and most respected track meet in the United States.
Since 2000 the organisers have added another component, USA vs the Rest of the World relays series.
However, as Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, Sam Carhidi, acknowledged in his piece on Sunday, it might as well be renamed USA vs Jamaica.
Over 46,000 paying fans turned up for Saturday's final day that featured the relays between the national teams, at least 25,000 appeared to be Jamaicans, many of whom plan the three-day meet into the must do list each April.
Every time a Jamaican team, whether national or high school team, steps on the track, the energy in the old stadium picks up a pace or three as the Jamaicans roar their delight.
These ovations are not lost on the athletes, as 2006's fastest woman, Sherone Simpson, told a press conference on Friday, they motivate her to run faster. The Americans feed off the energy of the Jamaicans too. In describing the crowd's reaction to the Jamaican women's Sprint Medley team's dropping the baton, Hazel Clarke, a member of the US Sprint Medley team, said "it was as if the entire stands kind of went hush".
Said Clarke: "The Jamaican crowds really get me going. Their energy almost makes you lose your mind."
Another US runner, Miki Barber, described the Jamaican crowd.
"It's as if they're the loudest ones here-and they have the most here - and they make everyone run faster."
Yardman/Orlando
Some Jamaican Coaches Want Penn Boycott?
Thu May 3, 2007 18:18
70.152.238.124
Some Jamaican high school coaches have for some time now been quietly talking about a boycott of the Penn Relays.
They have cited the constant changing of the rules -- which they think is aimed at limiting their success -- and the buying of top athletes to come in and beat the Jamaican schools.
They have not been able to provide an iota of proof to substantiate their accusations, but they appear to be getting more support. Time will tell whether there will be a Penn Relays ban anytime soon. But if it ever happens, America's biggest and best track meet will be the poorer for the absence of the Jamaicans.
Raquel Farquharson of STETHS (left) takes off with the baton after taking it from Tiffany Harris in the heats of the High School Girls 4x100m at the Penn Relays last Thursday. STETHS advanced to the Small Schools' finals where they placed third. /Photos: Paul Reid
For on Saturday the seven Jamaican teams in the High School Boys' Championship of America 4x100m finals at the 113th Penn Relays Carnival prompted a lot of track and field fans at Franklin Field to call it the Jamaican invitational finals.
St Jago boys, led by the irrepressible Yohan Blake, won the event in a new record 39.96 seconds, the first high school team to go under 40 seconds at Penn Relays and became the 19th Jamaican team to win the sprint relays since Kingston College won it first in 1964.
As impressive as that was, the girls were even better, winning the 4x100m Championships 25 times with Vere Technical the record holders leading the way with 14 plaques, including five straight between 1996 and 2000.
Add dozens of other relay and individual titles and one starts to get an understanding of the impact the Jamaican high schools and lately the college teams have had on the oldest and most respected track meet in the United States.
Since 2000 the organisers have added another component, USA vs the Rest of the World relays series.
However, as Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, Sam Carhidi, acknowledged in his piece on Sunday, it might as well be renamed USA vs Jamaica.
Over 46,000 paying fans turned up for Saturday's final day that featured the relays between the national teams, at least 25,000 appeared to be Jamaicans, many of whom plan the three-day meet into the must do list each April.
Every time a Jamaican team, whether national or high school team, steps on the track, the energy in the old stadium picks up a pace or three as the Jamaicans roar their delight.
These ovations are not lost on the athletes, as 2006's fastest woman, Sherone Simpson, told a press conference on Friday, they motivate her to run faster. The Americans feed off the energy of the Jamaicans too. In describing the crowd's reaction to the Jamaican women's Sprint Medley team's dropping the baton, Hazel Clarke, a member of the US Sprint Medley team, said "it was as if the entire stands kind of went hush".
Said Clarke: "The Jamaican crowds really get me going. Their energy almost makes you lose your mind."
Another US runner, Miki Barber, described the Jamaican crowd.
"It's as if they're the loudest ones here-and they have the most here - and they make everyone run faster."
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