The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas will field a strong contingent at the senior, collegiate and high school level in the 119th edition of the Penn Relays.

At the high school level, the Bahamas is expected to represented by public and private schools, including St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, Queen’s College Comets and CV Bethel Stingrays from New Providence and Moore’s Island out of Abaco.

A number of athletes will be competing for their respective schools in the collegiate divisions.

Scheduled for April 26-28 at the Franklin Field in Pennsylvania, the annual relay meet is the largest held in the world with more than 19,000 athletes competing in all divisions from the high school to the world-class rankings.

Headed by coach Dianne Woodside, the Big Red Machine is expected to field the largest group, participating in the 4x100m and 4x400m for both boys and girls in the “Small Schools” division.

And another three members of the team are all set to compete in individual competition.

Brashae Wood, CARIFTA bronze medallist in the shot put, is expected to compete in the discus. She finished fifth at CARIFTA with a throw of 38.37m.

Denzel Pratt is expected to compete in the boys’ javelin championship after he just missed the CARIFTA medal podium with a fourth place finish (62.53) in his first year in the under-20 division. In 2012, he won a bronze medal at the meet.

In the 400m hurdles, Mesha Newbold is also expected to represent the Big Red Machine with a fifth place finish and season’s best time of 1:02.88s at CARIFTA.

The QC Comets, coached by Garry Markham, are expected to participate in the 4x100m and 4x400m for both boys and girls in the “Small Schools” division while D’Mitry Charlton is all set to compete individually in the 400mH.

Rupert Gardiner and his CV Bethel Stingrays are also expected to field girls and boys teams in the 4x100 and 4x400m, but in the “Large Schools” division.

Moore’s Island’s much heralded programme, led by Anthony Williams, are ready to make another appearance at the meet with their 4x400m boys team anchored by CARIFTA 400m finalist James Williams.

The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually by the University of Pennsylvania since April 21, 1895.

In 2012, there were 116 running events in the meet and more athletes run in the Penn Relays than any other track and field meet in the world.

The meet regularly attracts more than 15,000 participants from high schools, colleges and track clubs throughout North America and most notably Jamaica, competing in more than 300 events over five days.

Historically, the event has been credited with popularising the running of relay races. Attendance typically tops 100,000 over the final three days, and has been known to surpass 50,000 on Saturday.