Grammar School makes commendable showing at Penn Relays

Winning both their heats in the 4x100m and the 4x400m, inclusive of a sub 44seconds in the 4x100m, as well as reaching the international finals of the 4x400m in the 2024 Penn Relays, were the Grammar School’s best showing in the all-male institution’s four years at the event.

At the most recent edition, held April 25 to 27, at the famed Franklin Field, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, the quartet of Amari Hercules, Matthew Robinson, Loic Paul and Keo Davis on April 6, 2024, clocked 43.11s in the 4x100m, to win their heat.

That time placed the Grammar School in 49th place among the 594 schools which competed.

That time earned the Grammar School a placed in the international final, which is essentially a B final. The Vincentian school, though finished ninth of nine teams, in a time of 43.62s, with Sean Henry replacing Hercules in the final.

It was the first occasion that the school was recording a sub 44 seconds mark at the Penn Relays.

Also, on Saturday, April 27, the team Leemore Ollivierre, Robinson, Jeremy Martin and Davis stopped the clock at 3:26.92, that also saw the Grammar School, taking their heat.

That clocking gave the Grammar School a ranking of 109th of the 531 schools.

When the St Vincent Grammar School first competed at the Penn Relays in 2017, the quartets timed 44.33s in the 4x100m and 3:27 in the 4x400m.

On their second outing in 2018, the 4x100m time was 44.92seconds, and in the 4x400m, the clocking was 3:22.18.

And, in 2019, the Grammar School’s 4x100m time was 44.66 seconds, with the 4x400m clocking at 3:24.90

Assessing the school’s output at the 2024 Penn Relays, head coach, Rawlson Morgan, told SEARCHLIGHT: “Winning both our 4x100m and the 4 x400m heats, including a sub 44 seconds clocking in the 4x100m, plus reaching the International final, something we never achieved before on our previous three outings [is] even more gratifying.”

Morgan however, expressed some disappointment in the 4x 400m time, but revealed that it was due to Ollivierre’s aggravation of an old injury that hobbled him from running a faster leg.

“ Before we left for the Penn Relays, we were timing 3:19 consistently, but one has to understand in the circumstances with injury,” Morgan related.

Thomas Saunders Secondary’s quartet that won their 4x400m heat

The Thomas Saunders Secondary:

Apart from the St Vincent Grammar School, the Thomas Saunders Secondary School (TSSS), also attended the 2024 Penn Relays.

The TSSS’ team in the Boys 4x100m, clocked 48.91 seconds, finishing 547th of 594; with the Boys 4x400m team’s time of 3:48.30, putting them in position 491 of the 531 schools.

In the Girls 4x100m, the TSSS team recorded a time of 52.57 seconds, placing at 356th of 595 finishers and in the 4x400m. Their 4:10.87, enabled the quartet to win their heat and ranked them 196th of 561 schools that finished.

The Girls 4x400m team comprised Olicia Phillips, Shaquania Jacobs, Mephia Munroe and J’Niah Goddard; while Goddard, Antonia Haynes, Munroe and Jacobs made up the 4 x 100m quartet.

And, the TSSS’ Boys team consisted of Kahlil Lavia, Jayden Wallace, Jahron Williams, Trevion Burgin and Jonte Ollivierre.