RAYMOND GRAHAM, Star Writer

Traves Smikle

Jamaican high schools will be very busy when the 117th staging of the Penn Relays gets under way next Thursday at the Franklin Field Stadium in Pennsylvania, with 60 of the island's local athletes competing in individual events.

The figure, which is expected to include 35 males and 25 females, is set to be the largest ever number of individual entries from Jamaica.

At last year's staging of the Penn Relays, the country's high school athletes were successful in only four individual events. Former Wolmer's Boys' hurdler-jumper Kamal Fuller, with a win in the long jump, and former Calabar thrower Chad Wright, who won the discus throw, were the successful boys. Among the girls there were also two successes as former St Elizabeth Technical jumper Rochelle Farqhuarson took home the triple jump, while Manchester High's Chanice Porter won the long jump.

It could be early success for Jamaica this time around as in the first individual event next Thursday, involving high school athletes, Champs triple winner Ristananna Tracey is set to follow in her sister Nikita's footsteps by taking the 400 metres hurdles event.

Tracey, who was second last year in 59.42 seconds, is the number-one ranked athlete going into the championships, following her blistering record run of 55.81 seconds at Champs. The time erased the 10-year-old record of former St Jago High's Melaine Walker, which was 56.55 seconds.

Vere Technical's Rushell Clayton, who was the silver medallist at Champs, will be the other Jamaicans competing in the event and she is the third-ranked athlete.

champion

Defending long-jump champion Porter will not be defending her title as she has been entered for the high jump instead, but even so it would have taken something special to stop Camperdown High's Nickeava Wilson who is set to continue Jamaica's winning ways in the event. She has been very consistent this season and the Commonwealth Games representative, with a best of 6.44 metres done to win the Class-One event at Champs, looks a cinch to cop the event.

National junior record holder Kimberly Williamson and Chanice Porter will be renewing their rivalry in the high jump where eight Jamaicans will be involved.

After her disappointment at Champs, Edwin Allen's Sasha-Gaye Marston will be hoping for success in the girls' discus, which was won by St Hugh's Candieca Bernard last year. Marston, who has gone over 47 metres twice so far this season, is the number-one ranked athlete in the event. Others down to compete are St Hugh's Devene Brown, Holmwood Technical's Glenieve Grange, Vere Technical's Serena Carrigan and Tameka Frater along with Mannings high's Omesha Locke.

Jamaica High school boys will be hoping to improve on the two wins achieved at the meet last year and based on their good form, they could easily dominate.

The country will be well represented in the 400 metres hurdles where 10 athletes from top high schools have been entered with the country holding down the top eight seeds.

Jamaica College's Javarn Gallimore is top ranked following his Champs success of 51.18 seconds. Carifta Trials winner Omar McLeod is the number-two seed while last year's third-place finisher Patrick Campbell of Munro College is the third-ranked athlete.

Calabar star thrower Traves Smikle who broke the discus national junior record at Champs, when he threw 66.88 metres, has been on a record roll all season and could better that mark as he aims for 70 metres and should win. His teammate Fredrick Dacres and Jamaica College Shaquille Lewis will accompany him in this event.