It was a freezing, rainy day at the Franklin Field Stadium in Philadelphia, and Jamaica College produced the only sunshine on the track for Jamaican schools with victory in the 4×100 meters on the final day of the 130th running of the 2026 Penn Relays on Saturday, April 25.

The “True Blues” in the process secured their fourth Penn Relays 4×100 meters title while missing out on adding to the count in both the 4×800 meters and 4×400 meters, which saw Kingston College missing out on five straight victories in the event.

The quartet of Makaeean Woods, Nathaniel Martin, Elijah Smikle, and Kai Kelly on anchor, sped to 40.03 seconds on their way to the victory, holding off a resolute Kingston College 40.10 seconds and St James Academy of Virginia 40.38.

Coach Cory Bennett was pleased that the team was able to deliver under the brutal, chilly conditions.

The consolation international 4×100 meters final was won by William Knibb High in 40.71 seconds, ahead of St. George’s College in 42.27 seconds and Calabar in 42.48 seconds.

In an anticlimactic 4×400 meters final, Bullis School of Maryland, with Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson on anchor, became the first non-Jamaican school to win the event in 19 years, securing the victory in 3 minutes 10.15 seconds.

They finished ahead of another American school, Archbishop John Carron, 3 minutes 13.15 seconds, with Jamaica College finishing third, 3 minutes 13.57. The four-year reign of Kingston College came to an end after placing fourth in 3 minutes 14.74 seconds.

The last American school to win the 4×400 meters was Long Beach Poly from California back in 2007.

In the 4×800 meters final, Jamaica College, which was the only Jamaican school in the final, took fourth place in 7 minutes 52.27 seconds – Union Catholic won the event in 7 minutes 41.14 seconds.

All in all, Jamaica’s schools came away with eight victories overall at this year’s Penn Relays.

Jamaica College secured three of the four wins for the boys, courtesy of triple jumper Micheal Andre Edwards, shot putter Joseph Salmon, and the 4×100 meters team. Addison James, the Grenadian athlete from Edwin Allen, won the boys javelin event.

Among the four girls’ victories were shot putter Marla Kay Lampart of Clarendon College, triple jumper Zavien Bernard of Hydel, the Hydel 4×400 meters team, who won a fifth straight title, and Edwin Allen, who defended their 4×100 meters title.

Meanwhile, former Wolmers Boys sprinter Gary Card romped to victory in the Collegiate men’s 100-meter championship.

Card, who sped to a lifetime best of 10.03 seconds in the heats, pulled away from his challengers in the final, winning in 10.34 seconds.

Former World Under-20 champion Kai Chang took the victory in the Collegiate discus championship.

The former Calabar athlete representing the University of the West Indies had a best effort of 59.26 meters, which was good enough to top his competitors.

Olympic finalist Romaine Beckford came out victorious in the men’s Olympic Development High Jump.

The NACAC 2023 champion secured the win with a leap of 2.26 meters.

Former Excelsior athlete Shantae Foreman, now representing Clemson University, took the College women’s triple jump title with a winning leap of 13.21 meters.