Hawthorne delighted about St Jago’s 2007 Penn Relays induction

The 127th staging of the relay carnival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between April 27-29 will be special for St Jago as for the second time a team from the institution will be inducted in the Wall of Fame, where outstanding teams at the carnival are recognised for exceptional performances.

At the 2007 staging of the event, more popularly known as Penn Relays, the 4x100 metres quartet Riker Hylton, Andre Walsh, Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmeade created history when they became the first high school boys' team to go under 40 seconds, by winning in a new championships record of 39.96 seconds.

They will be rewarded this year to their Monk Street-based counterparts Carlton Allen, Mark Lucas, Eaton Evans and Michael Williams, who were inducted in 2004 following their 4x800 metres relay victory in 1990.

Danny Hawthorne, who coached the 2007 team, is delighted that they will be recognised for their achievement.

"For me, it is a humble feeling. Although it took a while to happen, nothing happens before the time and to God be the glory. Once you put in the hard work you will be rewarded. My coaching talent is a gift from God and I am really pleased about what I have done over the years as a coach," said Hawthorne who is presently a senior lecturer at the GC Foster College of Sports and Education and is the head track and field coach of his alma mater, Dinthill Technical.

St Jago will be the eighth Jamaican high school team to be inducted in the Penn Relays Wall of Fame with Vere Technical leading the way with three, while Camperdown and St Jago are on two.

JAMAICAN TEAMS INDUCTED SO FAR

2003 - Camperdown High 1986 boys' 4x100 metres team of Derrick Thomas, Carey Johnson, Ralston Wright, Garfield Campbell

1997 - Camperdown High 1989 girls' 4x100 metres team of Marie Taylor, Revoli Campbell, Helena Rochester, Andrea Lloyd

2004 - St Jago 1990 boys' 4x800 metres team of Carlton Allen, Mark Lucas, Eaton Evans, Michael Williams

2002 - Vere Technical 1991 girls' 4x400 metres team of Charmaine Howell, Catherine Scott, Claudine Williams, Inez Turner

1995 - Vere Technical 1991 girls' 4x800 metres team of Charmaine Howell, Claudine Williams, Janice Turner, Evette Turner

2004 - Vere Technical distance medley girls' 1992 team of Charlene Robinson, Janice Turner, Evette Turner, Avia Morgan

2008 - Holmwood Technical 2001 girls' 4x800 metres team of Kerri-Ann Whyte, Karen Gayle, Aneisha McLaughlin, Sheryl.Morgan