A world 4x100m high school record by Edwin Allen High School was the highlight of girls’ action on April 29 at the 126th Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall and Tina’s twin sister Tia produced a stunning time of 43.18 seconds to outrace a fine effort by Hydel High, timed in 43.69 seconds.

Edwin Allen smashed the Penn record of 43.62 seconds previously set by Cole, the twins and Kevona Davis in 2019. Michael Dyke, the Edwin Allen coach attributed the performance to both speed and teamwork. “We have been really working the baton to make sure because we know we have the leg speed, so once the execution falls in place, then we fear nobody”, Dyke reported.

The hard work resulted in an especially good exchange between Cole and World Under 20 champion Tina Clayton to erase memories of their error at the Central Championships in March. The winning time also surpassed Edwin Allen’s former world high school record of 43.28 seconds set at the Boys and Girls Championships in Kingston.

Dyke had high praise for the Corey Bennett Hydel quartet of Alana Hill, Brianna Lyston, Kerrica Hill and Oneka Wilson. “Definitely, and we were prepared for it because we know that the quality of the Hydel team”, he acknowledged, “but our girls have so much confidence, you know, that I had no fear, and I wasn’t even thinking that they would have dropped the baton or any mistake because they have worked well together all over the years and I am happy but not surprised.”

Edwin Allen also won the 4x800m in 8 minutes 54.58 seconds, in a race where Holmwood’s Samantha Pryce suffered a suspected broken leg when she fell while leading on the first leg.

Hydel smashed its own Penn record of 3 minutes 33.99 seconds in the 4×400 as Alilah Baker, Onieka McAnuff, Hill and Lyston combined to clock 3.32.77, well clear of Edwin Allen. Bennett’s charges achieved the landmark with splits of 53.6, 52.4, 54.4 and 51.4 respectively.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Holmwood. On April 28, Cedricka Williams added the Penn title to her Carifta Games gold medal with a personal best of 54.00m. The mark brings her closer to the national junior record of 54.72m by Shanice Love.