Penn Relays lay the platform – Harry

The Thomas Saunders Secondary School again participated in the famed Penn Relays in the USA over the period April 28 to 30, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{more}}

This was the sixth time that the institution has participated, having debuted in 2011.

And, despite never reaching the last eight in any of the events contested over that period, head coach of the team Godfrey Harry is maintaining that the school’s participation goes beyond being in the top pile.

The school was represented by 14 athletes – seven females and seven males. Harry reasoned, “In the case of the females, it was about setting a foundation for the next three years exposure wise… For the males, it was the last year of a crop of athletes who we were trying to get that exposure for.

“Our objective has always been for the athletes to put themselves out there, so that they can be targets for some of the US colleges…It is only a matter of time for things to start to happen for some of them,” Harry commented.

He referenced the fact that there are three male athletes who, last year, attended the Penn Relays, and gained entry to the Kingsborough Community College in New York, although it was their academics which weighed in more than their athletic abilities.

Harry, though, is not satisfied with the Thomas Saunders Secondary being the lone Vincentian school thus far to have attended the Penn Relays, and wants other schools here take up the challenge and venture out on the annual sojourns.

Thomas Saunders was represented by a male and female team in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metres events in the small schools category.

The male quartet of Nigel Thomas, Zenron Chance, Derold Samuel and Neilo Thomas clocked 45.26 seconds in the 4x100m, to be ranked 252nd out of 586 entrants, while in the 4 x400m, the combination of Edwin Weston, Azare Samuel, Neilo Thomas and Zenron Chance registered 3 minutes 29.76 seconds, over the distance, obtaining a ranking of 199th of 574 schools.

In the females 4 x 100m, Mekelia Slater, Ariel Jackson, Kavesia George and Shanise John clocked 51.72 seconds, which put them in 235th place of 641.

And, Oleisha Ryan, Zamesha Myle, Cheslyn Simper and Shanise John finished 378th of 637 in the 4 x 400m. The TSSS’ timing in the event was 4 minutes 19.23 seconds.

The male 4x 100m’s time ranks fifth on the list of the school’s timing over the six-year period, with the 4 x 400m putting the 2016 quartet fourth.

For the females, who began contesting the Penn Relays in 2012, the 4 x 100m timing this year was the slowest to have been recorded by Thomas Saunders, with the 2016’s 4 x 400m clocking third.

Harry explained that the females especially are a work in progress, and once they stay fit and all things are equal, they will improve.

Harry concluded that the Thomas Saunders Secondary will endeavour to make the trip to the Penn Relays every year, as St Vincent and the Grenadines’ presence “means a lot to persons in the diaspora, who are making every effort to make this happen.”