PHILADELPHIA — Hydel High posted the fastest time of the day to headline a formidable group of Jamaican schools advancing to the Championship of America girls’ 4x400m relay final at the Penn Relays on Friday (26 April).
With a composed, front-running effort, the quartet of Sashashunta Hemmings, Abigail Campbell, Aaliyah Mullings, and Nastassia Fletcher clocked 3:36.21 — the quickest time across all heats — to punch their ticket to Saturday’s title showdown. The performance was built on a strong second leg from Campbell (52.09), which opened up a commanding lead that Hydel never relinquished.
Hydel’s Penn Relays full splits:
- Hemmings – 54.61
- Campbell – 52.09
- Mullings – 54.40
- Fletcher – 55.12
The time places the defending champions in pole position to repeat, but the path to the title final will be contested by three other Jamaican powerhouses, all of whom topped their respective heats with efficient, if not overpowering, runs.
Edwin Allen High, a perennial force at Penn Relays, secured its place in the final with a 3:41.30 clocking. The team of Harvia Ward, Marria Crossfield, Kellyann Carr, and Shanique Cassanova was pushed early, but Carr’s third leg heroics (51.51) shifted momentum dramatically in Edwin Allen’s favor, flipping a deficit into a lead they carried through the finish.
Edwin Allen’s Penn Relays splits:
- Ward – 57.41
- Crossfield – 56.54
- Carr – 51.51
- Cassanova – 55.85
Holmwood Technical also advanced with a wire-to-wire win in their heat, crossing in 3:41.58. The lineup of Kristen Herbert, Abrina Wright, Maddison Campbell, and Tracey-Ann Evans controlled proceedings from the gun, with consistent legs across the board.
Holmwood Tech’s Penn Relays splits:
- Herbert – 55.02
- Wright – 54.35
- Campbell – 55.60
- Evans – 56.63
Completing the Jamaican quartet headed to the final is Immaculate Conception, whose team of Davine Dickenson, Kimberly Wright, Samoya Brown, and Shevi-Anne Shim produced 3:41.90 to win their heat. Solid mid-race splits helped them take control by the 1200m mark, holding steady to the line despite a slower anchor.
Immaculate Conception’s Penn Relays splits:
- Dickenson – 54.99
- Wright – 54.75
- Brown – 54.78
- Shim – 57.39
Of note, the second-fastest team overall was St. John’s College from Washington, D.C., who ran 3:41.21, but trailed Hydel’s time by five full seconds. With a 53.36 second leg from Cymia Yourish, St. John’s will be the top American team entering Saturday’s final, but will need to find another level to challenge the Jamaican favorites.
The girls’ 4x400m Championship of America final is set for Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field, where Jamaica’s four qualified schools will look to continue their rich legacy on the Penn Relays stage.
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