Holmwood's Taneisha Blair on her way to second place in the javelin, at the Penn Relays, yesterday. - photo by Anthony Foster

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

PHILADELPHIA:

HOLMWOOD TECHNICAL and Edwin Allen High lead Jamaican high school qualifiers in today's finals at the 2006 Penn Relays at Franklin Field Stadium.

Both schools have qualified for three finals, the sprint, mile and 4x800m relays.

In the 4x100m, Edwin Allen, with Shana Anderson, Kimberly Smith, Gayon Evans and Naffene Briscoe, ran 46.16, the fastest time going into today's final.

St. Jago, with Shanique Smikle, Latoya King, Taneisha Baker and Samantha Woodburn (46.52), defending champions Holmwood, who used Adrea Segree, Anastasia Le-Roy, Andrea Reid and Schillonie Calvert ( 46.69), along with Manchester (46.94), and Vere (47.14), also qualified for the Championship final.

In the small schools final, Alpha (48.17) and St. Elizabeth Technical (48.67) qualified. G. C. Foster College ( 45.51) qualified for the final of the college women's 4x100m relay.

Edwin Allen led the qualifiers in the 4x400m relay with 3:41.67. The Michael Dyke-coached girls led Holmwood (3: 44.78), Manchester (4:45.68) and St. Jago (3:47.15) as the Jamaican qualifiers.

Heat one

In the 4x800m relay, Edwin Allen with their 9:05.02 for second behind Pope John XXIII (9:03.56), lead the Jamaican charge with Holmwood (9: 05.11), who won to win heat one.

Vere's Kimberly Williams defended her triple jump title, this after a 12.91m leap.

Williams, who won at Champs and the Carifta Games, had jumps of 13.36m and 13.33m on her second and third leaps, respectively, but was not credited because of errors by the officials.

"I wasn't credited with distances because they used the laser to measure it and they never went for the steel tape," she said.

"They are saying that I cannot get the 13.36m, and I wanted it," said a disappointed Williams.

The excuse the officials gave was that the record wasn't written clearly on the paper and that was why they did not realise it at the time.

Meanwhile, Kaliese Spencer of University of Technology (UTech) wonthe college women's 400m hurdles for the second straight year, running 56.33 seconds. Spencer had mixed feelings after the event.

"I am a bit disappointed, I wanted to run faster, but unfortunately I did not get my run-up properly and that cost me my timing," she said.

Dethroned champion Taneisha Blair threw 44.64m for second in the girls' javelin.