Jamaica's Edwin Allen HS runs astonishing 43.96 in the 4x100

By Jim Lambert for DyeStat

PHILADELPHIA - The Edwin Allen girls came to the Penn Relays fueled by the motivation to do something that’s never been before.  

The Jamaican school did exactly that in electrifying fashion Friday by scorching the track at Franklin Field by throwing down a jaw-dropping 43.96 seconds to win the 4x100 Championship of America race and smash the meet record at the 123rd running of the historic meet.

The time bettered the meet record of 44.32 set in 2004 by Vere Tech of Jamaica. It was also Edwin Allen's fourth straight Penn Relays victory in the girls 4x100.

Edwin Allen, with a lineup of Kasheika Cameron, Kevona Davis, Shellece Clark and Patrice Moody, held off strong challenges from St. Jago, second in 44.53, and Hydel, third in 44.56. St. Jago’s time is No. 4 in meet history, and Hydel’s time is tied for No. 5 in Penn Relays history. Bullis was the top American finisher, placing fifth overall in 45.31, just off the Maryland state record of 45.24 set by Eleanor Roosevelt in 2009.

Moody, the anchor for Edwin Allen, had a feeling her team was going to drop a bomb.  

“We knew we could run faster than we did yesterday (44.76), and today our handoffs were much better and we did what we wanted to do by going under 44,’’ Moody said.

For the sake of reference, the all-time U.S. high school record for the 4x100 is 44.50 by Long Beach Poly CA in 2004.

In other highlights, Calabar of Jamaica, favored to break the meet record in the 4x100, roared into the Championship of America final with a 39.98 in Friday’s trials, the 10th-fastest time in meet history.

Calabar, which has run 39.43 this season, will be chasing the meet record of 39.63 in the eight-team C of A race Saturday.

Defending-champion Kingston of Jamaica, which has run 39.90 this season, ran the second-fastest time of the trials with a 40.29. Kingston College took down Calabar last year, 39.63 to 39.89, to earn a piece of the meet record that was set by Calabar in 2015. Kingston College is seeking a Penn Relays record 10th 4x100 title.

The only U.S. teams to advance to the 4x100 final were Western Branch VA, which ran 41.45, and Bullis MD (41.55).

Jamaican teams have won 12 straight boys 4x100 titles. The last U.S. team to win was Glenville OH in 2004, a team that was sparked by current NFL wide receiver Ted Ginn.