Penn Relays inspires Meadowbrook girls, coach

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

HEAD track and field coach of Meadowbrook High School, Dino Rochester, is singing praises for his girls who recently participated at the 130th staging of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field, Philadelphia.

Rochester, who has been guiding the Meadowbrook High programme for the past four years - in what remains his first track and field coaching stint - where he has been at the helm for the past four years, was pleased with their returns on their first trip back to the relay carnival in 26 years.

The Meadowbrook Avenue-based school, not known for their prowess in track and field, fielded the quartet of Consuanie Crunnes, Jahmilia Humes, Allyson McFarlane and Ashlee McFarlane in the Championships of America 4x100m relay. They failed to make the finals of the main event, but were one of eight Jamaican teams to reach the consolation finals, known as the International final.

In that final, they finished eighth in 48.07 seconds, placing ahead of Manchester High.

St Augustine of The Bahamas won the event in 45.90 ahead of Convent of Mercy, Alpha, in 46.42 and Holmwood Technical, in 46.74.

PROUD

Reaching the consolation final, where his team got the chance to run twice, Rochester was indeed proud of his girls.

"The team coming to Penns for the first time in 26 years and reaching the International final, I am so proud of them and this is something to be proud of. I know this will not only motivate these four girls but also those at home who did not make it," said Rochester.

"This is a young and inexperienced team and, being in different classes, coming to Penn Relays it was the first time they were running together as a team. It was not easy to get them to gel and definitely this is good motivation for them.

"I am confident they will be back next year and beyond," continued Rochester, a past athlete at Edwin Allen High and Kingston College who participated in middle-distance events.

Rochester also heaped praises on Meadowbrook High's Past Students' Association.

"It was a challenge getting funds to send the team to Penns, as this was the biggest challenge I have faced since coaching, but it was all possible due to the Past Students' Association. They believed in me and the team and rallied around us to make the trip possible, getting the required funds, and I am very thankful for this."

He stated that the experience competing at Penns was massive.

"The experience impacted the athletes on a large scale, both individually and collectively. Those who are here are determined to come back, while those who did not make it will be even more determined to be on the team going forward," he concluded.