Hydel smash Penn Relays 4x400m record

Hydel High brought the 129th Penn Relays Carnival to a close on Saturday with a spectacular championship record 3:30.42 minutes as they won a fourth straight high school girls’ 4x400m Championship of America title.

The team of Natassia Fletcher, Abigail Campbell, Sashana Johnson and Jody-Ann Daley smashed the championship record 3:32.77 minutes set by another Hydel quartet in 2022. The time was also the second fastest ever by a Jamaican under-20 female team, only behind the national record 3:29.66 minutes set on the same track in 2001 by a team of Kerron Stewart, Sheryl Morgan, Melaine Walker and Patricia Hall.

The splits showed lead off runner, 16-year-old Fletcher, running 53.06 seconds; Campbell, 52.46 seconds; Johnson, 52.47 seconds and Daley, 52.28 seconds.

Bullis School of Potomac in Maryland, who returned three of the four runners who were second last year, repeated their placing with 3:33.30 minutes, the third best ever time.

Edwin Allen placed third with 3:36.14 minutes, the 10th best ever time, followed by Holmwood Technical who ran 3:38.80 minutes. Immaculate Conception High placed sixth with 3:43.17 minutes.