By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 26, 2018: Here are the top stories making Caribbean sports news for the week ending, April 26, 2019:
Caribbean Nations To Face-Off With The US At The Penn Relays
Athletes from several Caribbean nations – both top pros and college and high schoolers – are set to face-off against US athletes this weekend in Philadelphia at the 125th running of the Penn Relays.
The old Jamaica versus the US rivalry is on the card again as thousands of Jamaican and Caribbean immigrants make the annual trek to Philly to show their national colors on US soil.
The biggest face-off will come on Saturday, April 27th in the USA-versus the world relays. In the Men’s 4×100-m race set for 12:37 p.m. Saturday, athletes from Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda are among the global teams challenging the US for dominance.
In the Women’s 4×100-m relay at 12:47 p.m., two Jamaican teams and one team from Guyana will go up against two US teams as well as a team from Kenya and Canada.
In the men’s 4×400-m relays at 1:32 p.m., Caribbean athletes from Guyana, Jamaica and The Bahamas will challenge the US blue and red teams as well as Canada and Kenya for the gold.
But in the Women’s 4×400-m race at 1:41 p.m., it will be a Jamaican and US clash, since Jamaica is the only Caribbean team in that race.
The World Women’s Sprint Medley race at 2:26 p.m. will see athletes from Guyana, Jamaica and the Bahamas bring the Caribbean heat while in the World Men’s Sprint Medley at 2:35 p.m., the region will be represented by athletes from Haiti and Jamaica only.
Jamaica will be represented by former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson as well as Oshane Bailey, Nesta Carter and Rasheed Dwyer.
High Schools from Seven Caribbean Nations For Penn Relays 2019
Meanwhile, athletes from several high schools and colleges in seven Caribbean nations are set to compete at this year’s 125th running of the Penn Relays from April 25-27th.
They will come from Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad, Turks and Caicos and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
From the Turks and Caicos, Clement Howell High School under the guidance of coach Randy Ford will compete in High School Girls’ 4×100 and High School Girls’ 4×400 events.
From Trinidad, Fatima College will compete in the High School Boys’ 4×100 and the High School Boys’ 4×400 while St. Vincent Grammar School of Kingstown, St. Vincent will also compete in those races.
Barbados’ Windsor High School as well as Guyana’s Fort Wellington Secondary, New Campbellville Secondary and Guyana Technical Institute College of New Amsterdam are all set to compete in this year’s Relays as well.
From the Bahamas, Bishop Michael Eldon School, Nassau Christian Acdemy, Queen’s College High School, St. Augustine’s College, Saint John’s College, Tabernacle Academy as well as the University of the Bahamas are all set to compete.
Jamaica as usual still has the largest contingent of any Caribbean nation.
They are as follows:
COLLEGES
G.C. Foster (St. Catherine)
Knox CC (Clarendon)
MICO (Kingston)
UTech (Kingston)
UWI Mona (Kingston)
HIGH SCHOOLS
Alpha Academy (Kingston)
Bellefield (Mandeville)
Bridgeport (St. Catherine)
Calabar (Kingston)
Camperdown (Kingston)
Cornwall Coll (St. James)
Dinthill Tech (St. Catherine)
Edwin Allen (Clarendon)
Enid Bennett (Bog Walk)
Excelsior (Kingston)
Garvey Maceo (Clarendon)
Godfrey Stewart (Westmoreland)
Greater Portmore (St. Catherine)
Green Island (Hanover)
Herbert Morrison (Montego Bay)
Holmwood Tech (Christiana)
Hydel (St. Catherine)
Immaculate Conception (Kingston)
Jamaica College (Kingston)
Kingston College (East Kingston)
Munro College (St. Elizabeth) Papine (Kingston)
Petersfield (Westmoreland)
Rhodes Hall (Lucea, Hanover)
Ruseas (Lucea, Hanover)
Spalding (Clarendon) St. Andrew Girls (Kingston)
St. Catherine (St. Catherine)
St. Elizabeth Tech (Santa Cruz)
St. Jago (St. Catherine)
Tacius Golding (St. Catherine)
The Queen’s School (Kingston)
Vere Technical (Clarendon) and
Wolmer’s Boys (Kingston).
Team Jamaica Bickle
Team Jamaica Bickle founder and CEO, Irwine Clare, says his team has been on the ground since Tuesday, welcoming athletes and providing transportation and meals. TJB is now in its 25th year of service to Caribbean at the Penn Relays, with funding come mainly from small donors.
“When we look at what we have been able to achieve in the last 25 years, we are so very proud and grateful to our strong community partners (individuals and businesses) who have helped along our journey to this milestone year for us,” Clare said.
To keep the meals and accommodation for Caribbean athletes flowing, donate here now.
West Indies Cricket
West Indies has named its 15-man squad for the May 30th – July 14th Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.
The full squad is: Jason Holder (captain), Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wicketkeeper), Nicholas Pooran, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Shannon Gabriel, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell.
West Indies Women
Meanwhile, West Indies women’s wicketkeeper, Merissa Aguilleira, has announced her retirement from international cricket after an 11-year.
Aguilleira helped lead the West Indies women’s team to three consecutive World T20 semi-final appearances in 2010, 2012 and 2014. She made her ODI debut against the Netherlands in 2008 and went on to feature in 180 more international games for West Indies. “It is an absolute honor to have been of service to West Indies Cricket. My continued goal is to assist CWI to build and develop women’s cricket and help others like me to achieve their dreams,” she stated.
Yohan Blake For London
Jamaican Olympian Yohan Blake is set to be part of the champs lining up for the 100-m at the Muller Anniversary Games set for London on July 20th – 21st.
Blake is no stranger to the London Stadium, having won three Olympic medals there back in 2012. The second-fastest man in history over 100-m with a best of 9.69, Blake is set to come up against Olympian Andre De Grasse.
