Ayanna Alexander will be seeking to win back-to-back titles at this year’s Penn Relays which get under way at Franklyn Field Stadium, Pennsylvania, USA later today. In 2011, Alexander captured the Olympic Development Women triple jump gold medal with a distance of 13.47m (+2.3). The reigning CAC senior champion will compete on Saturday, the final day of action. Inform sprinter Keston Bledman sped to victory in last year’s Olympic Development men 100m but has not confirmed whether he will defend his title.


Former Penn Relays winner Mikel Thomas will aim to reclaim the Olympic Development men’s 110m hurdles crown he last won in 2010. Thomas enters the event setting a personal best of 13.48 seconds (Olympic qualifying) last month. Queen’s Royal College will be looking to hold on to their High School Open 4x400m title. With Carifta boys Under-17 200m champion Jonathan Farinha in the line up along with two-time Carifta medallist Asa Guevara—who both were on last year’s winning team—the Royalians will be confident of victory. Kernesha Spann (St Francois Girls) will be focused on getting among the medals in the High Schools girls 400m hurdles race. The Carifta silver medallist finished fourth at year’s meet in 1.00.65. Brandon Benjamin (St Augustine Secondary) is down to contest the High Schools Boys one lap hurdles event.


The highlight of the meet for Trinidad and Tobago will be in the US versus the World relays where Richard Thompson will lead the men’s 4x100m team. The reigning Olympic silver-medallist outfit will be aiming at improving on their fourth place finish last year and also the disappointment of failing to medal at the World Championships in South Korea later in the year. The NAAA has named Marc Burns, Emmanuel Calendar, Bledman and Rondell Sorillo as members of the 4x100 line up.

Trinidad and Tobago will also compete in the women’s 4x100 and men’s 4x400m events. Michelle Lee Ahye, who recently sped to a pb and Olympic qualifying time of 11.19, Semoy Hackett, Kai Selvon, Reyare Thomas and Aleesha Barber will make up the team. The final four of men’s 4x400m will be chosen from Jarrin Solomon, Lalonde Gordon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Stann Waithe. Solomon, Gordon and Richards were members of T&T’s World indoor bronze 4x4 medal team.

-Clayton Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt