A year ago at the Penn Relays, a St Jago High quartet, running without Yohan Blake surprised all by winning the 4x400 metres and after their win in the final event at Boys' Championships, the Nickel Ashmeade-led team will be hoping to successfully defend their title.

There are many who thought that St Jago were fortunate at Champs as Calabar's anchor runner, Ramone McKenzie, looked like taking his team to victory before suffering cramps in the last 110 metres as his team faded to third behind winners St Jago and second-place finishers St Elizabeth Technical.

Overwhelming favourites

Over the past two years, Ashmeade has got the better of McKenzie on his leg in the 4x400 metres and there are many who still think that it was the pressure that got to McKenzie once again.

St Jago (3:12.44) just barely edged out the Nicholas Maitland-led St Elizabeth team who clocked 3:12.76 for second place, but come Penn Relays, the defending Penn Relay champion will be fully tested as Kingston College, who were the overwhelming favourites to win, following their impressive season leading 3:09.38 at the Gibson Relays in February, had injury problems. Two of their best runners, Keiron Stewart and Akino Ming, were missing.

If both Ming and Stewart are fit and join forces with Rolando Berch and Andre Peart, then they could give their school a long overdue win here following their last victory in this event some 19 years ago. When they won at Gibson Relays, they had St Jago, without Ashmeade, way behind in second place in 3:13.23. and Calabar some distance away in fourth in 3:18.88.

Calabar will also hope that Warren Weir will be fit for the occasion as both McKenzie and Ricardo Powell will need a lot of help if they hope to get the better of their opponents.

It will not only be a battle between the Jamaican teams as Newburgh from New York has been setting the place on fire in North America and at the New York Balance Indoor Meet in early February, they were impressive when they destroyed their opponents to win in 3:13.06 and could be the team to beat.

- R.G.