NSAF On-Site at Penn Relays: Saturday Preview

by Steve Underwood


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BOYS RELAY QUALIFYING/FINALS: Hyde is back for Calabar; T.C. Williams ready for big stage

The Calabar, JAM boys got a boost when it was announced a few days ago that Michael Hyde would be reinstated – after being banned regarding alleged commercial endorsements – giving them a chance to compete at the incredible 39.08 and 3:06.76 level in the 4x1 and 4x4 that they demonstrated in the Jamaican Champs.  In Friday’s 4x1 large school prelims, they ran “only” 41.36, 3rd overall in qualifying, but the potential is again there.  Kingston College, JAM had the fastest large school and overall time at 41.12, while St. George’s JAM at 41.41, T.C. Williams VA at 41.71, and DeMatha Catholic MD at 42.08 also made the Championship of America final. 

In the small schools prelims, St. Jago JAM was fastest (2nd overall) with 41.30, followed in making the COA by St. Elizabeth Tech JAM at 42.03 and St. John’s College DC at 42.38.  St. Jago features Martin Manley and Nathon Allen and should provide a stiff test to Calabar and Kingston College in the final.

As for the U.S. teams, it will be interesting to see which event T.C. Williams does better in.  They made both finals last year and hope to do the same this time after advancing Friday in the 4x1.  With 46-second talent from the Lyles brothers and potential for sub-50s from other legs, a 3:12 or better certainly seems possible.  But with Noah and Josephus both improving their top-end speed, there’s a new ceiling in the 4x1, too.  Last year they were 5th in the 4x4 and 7th in the 4x1 – but the former was with Josephus only running 51.9.

Among the other great 4x4 contenders, Kingston College features Jamaican Champs 400 winner Akeem Bloomfield, who has clocked an incredible 44.93.  St. Jago, St. Elizabeth Tech and Jamaica College have all run between 3:08 and 3:11.  Other top U.S. contenders to make the final and perhaps contend for top 3 or better are Cheltenham PA, Union Catholic NJ, Clara Barton NY, Western Branch VA and Long Beach Poly CA.  Cheltenham features standing long sprinter/800 runner John Lewis; two other anchors to watch are Boys & Girls NY’s Richard Rose and Mt. Vernon NY’s Rai Benjamin.


BOYS FIELD FINALS: Wasome looks for record; Lovelace, Wilkes carrying some U.S. hopes

Obrien Wasome of Jamaica College, JAM – who was 3rd in the LJ last year – is definitely the guy to beat in the triple jump this year – and could threaten Sanya Owolabi’s 37-year-old meet record of 52-2.75.  Wasome has done 52-10.75 and a wind-aided 53-3.5, which won him the Jamaican Champs.  Three other Jamaican athletes – Campion’s Jordan Scott, Cornwall College’s Odaine Lewis and Calabar’s Javier Lowe – are among those to watch.  Jared Lovelace (Archbishop Molloy, JAM) would be favored in many years when there was no Obrien Wasome.  But still don’t be surprised if he’s in the top 3 or better.  He’s coming off a great indoor season that saw him jump over 50 feet four times, unbeaten until he took 3rd at NBNI behind Ja’Mari Ward.

The boys’ long jump could be a tight battle between Calabar, JAM’s Jullanie Walker and Charles Lambert (Xavier, NY senior), both of whom have gone 24-6.  Lambert was 6th at NBNI.  Also look for Walker’s teammate, Travis Riley; Alrick Ottey of Cornwall College, JAM; and Gavin Gibson of Kingston College, JAM; as well as Quamel Sessons (I.C. Norcom, VA), Isaiah Brooks (Woodland Hills, PA) and Malik Sainnoval (Brentwood, NY).

The boys’ pole vault features a competitive field led by NBNI 4-5 finishers Ryan Wilkes (Valley View, PA senior) and Derek Dibona (Warwick Valley, NY senior).  Wilkes soared 16-6 that day and Dibona 16-2.  Wilkes was 7th last year here (improved a lot since, of course) while this will be Dibona’s Penn debut.  From North Carolina, there’s Tristan Shaver, who was 9th at NBNI and had a 16-0 in another meet.  Also don’t count out the Iona Prep, NY duo of Ryan Herrera-Murphy (tied for 3rd last year on misses after the top 6 cleared just 14-9 in tough conditions) and Matt Fay.

In the high jump, with the great 3-time champ Christoff Bryan (Wolmer’s Boys, JAM) finally graduated, the door is open for a new champ.  Jamaican athletes could still dominate, with with St. Jago’s teammates Romario Douglas and Lushane Wilson, plus Clayton Brown (Jamaica College) having jumped 7-1, 7-0.25 and 6-11 this year, respectively.  The top U.S. contenders are Ameer Banks (Delsea Regional, NJ), Bradley Jones (Oscar Smith, VA) and Devin Bradham (Williamstown, NJ), all at 6-10.


OTHER TRACK FINALS: No Hyde, but Williams vs. Benjamin in 400H; Reich could shine again

The only remaining individual track finals Saturday are the boys’ 400m hurdles and the racewalks for both genders – all for early-rising audiences only.  In the 400H, there is disappointment without a chance to see defending champ and 2014 World Junior champ Jaheel Hyde of Wolmer’s Boys, JAM – who was banned from the meet after signing a promotional contract in Jamaica recently.  Michael O’Hara of Calabar was similarly banned, but reinstated.  But that still leaves a great battle between Marvin Williams – the 2013 World Youth champ from St. Elizabeth Tech, JAM with a 50.59 PR – and Rai Benjamin, the Mt. Vernon, NY senior.  Benjamin has a 52.14 PR from last year, was the NBNI 400 champ last month, and has a new outdoor 400 flat PR of 46.19.  The field also includes Cheltenham, PA’s super senior John Lewis, who has run 53.80 this year already.

In the racewalks, the female events include Junior and High School 5k races held concurrently.  Ashleigh Reich, the two-time NBNI mile champ, will be going for her 2nd straight victory in the Junior event.  She walked 24:37.59 for the win last year.  A Beavercreek, OH senior by way of Australia, she set the national 1-mile record last month with that NBNI title.  The high school race will feature the 2-3 finishers from the NBNI mile – Katharine Newhoff of East Islip, NY and Meaghan Podlaski of Colonie, NY.  Newhoff has repped Team USA at last year’s World Juniors over 10k.  They were 3rd and 5th in this event, respectively, in 2014.

The men’s 10k Junior racewalk includes Texas preps Matias Serna and Edwuardo Uria, as well as Anthony Peters – the NBNI mile champ in 2014 and who repped Team USA in Eugene as well.  He’s now at St. Ambrose University.

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