The Jamaicans have changed the Penn Relays. Although the tiny Caribbean island has only brought their athletes to Philadelphia for 50 of the meet’s 120 year history, Jamaica has dominated the relay events ever since they first took to Franklin Field in 1964. Here are the athletes and teams from the sprinting hotbed that have changed the United States’ oldest track meet forever: 

 

Calabar High, Kingston, Jamaica

The Kingston-based Calabar High has reigned supreme over boys’ relays throughout the years at Penn, winning 12 Championship of America relay titles, the most in boys history. 

Jorel Bellafonte anchored the Jamaican 4x800m team to victory in 2014 in 7:37.36

Recently, Calabar set a Jamaican high school record in the 4x100m relay of 39.08 at the Jamaican Champs in March. 

 

Cathy Rattray, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Tennessee 

Rattray was a member of the Relays' record setting Tennessee 4x800m team in 1984 that ran 8:20.22. Altogether, Rattray was a part of seven winning relay teams, including six that set meet records. 

 

Rattray won a World Indoor gold medal in the 4x400m in 1993 for Jamaica.  

 

Lennox Miller, Kingston College 

Miller was a member of the first Jamaican team to compete at the Penn Relays in 1964, anchoring the 440-yd relay team to a meet record of 41.7 seconds to break the 21-year record. The Miller-anchored relay squad also won in 1965.

Lennox Miller anchored the first Jamaican 440-yd relay team at the Penn Relays to victory

Miller became an NCAA champion at USC, and won the silver medal in the 100m at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Miller added a bronze medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

 

Inez Turner, Vere Tech 

Turner won three high school Athlete of the Meet awards between 1989-1991 as a member of the legendary Vere Tech High out of Hayes, Jamaica. In her final year at Tech, Turner anchored the winning 1,600m and 3,200m relay teams, splitting 53.2 for her 400m leg and 2:03.2 in the 800m leg. Altogether, Turner was a part of six meet record relay teams at Penn. 

 

Turner ended her running career with a 1:59.49 PB in the 800m, and a World Championships Bronze medal in the 4x400 in 1997. 

 

Usain Bolt, Team Jamaica

The best sprinter in history made his return to the Penn Relays in 2010 after competing for Jamaica’s William Knibb High as a freshman and sophomore. Bolt’s short, but memorable appearance at Franklin Field caused the record crowd of 54,310 to erupt at the mere sight of the Olympic champion and World record holder warming up on the in-field.

Watch the crowd react as Bolt starts his warm-up in 2010: 

Bolt would anchor Team Jamaica in the 4x100m to a win in 37.90. 

 

Vere Tech High, Hayes, Jamaica

The Vere Tech girls’ relay teams have won a remarkable 39 Penn Relays titles, dominating every event from 4x100m to 4x800m.

 

Notable athletes that have competed at Vere Tech include Inez Turner (see above), as well as gold medalists Veronica Campbell-Brown, Aleen Bailey, and Beverly McDonald. 

 

Don Quarrie, Camperdown High

Quarrie competed for Kingston’s Camperdown High at the Penn Relays in 1973 before starring at USC and ultimately representing the Jamaican national team in four Olympics.

 

Quarrie won gold in the 200m at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

 

Donovan Davis, Kingston College 

Davis coached the first Jamaican team at the Penn Relays back in 1964, Kingston College, which won the 440-yd relay in 41.7 seconds. Davis’ decision to bring his athletes to Franklin Field provided an opportunity for American coaches to take notice of the island’s sprint talent, opening up recruiting to U.S. schools and changing the sport forever. 

 

More than 50 years after Davis first brought his team to Penn, Jamaica annually brings more than 400 athletes to Philadelphia in late April. 

 

Herb McKenley, Illinois

McKenley competed at the Penn Relays in 1946 and 1947, winning six relay titles for the University of Illinois. McKenley would go on to win the gold medal in the 4x400m at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as part of Team Jamaica, as well as consecutive silver medals in the 400m in 1948 and 1952. McKenley was known for his range, having also won the silver medal in the 100m at Helsinki.

Herb McKenley competing for the University of Illinois. © University of Illinois

McKenley competed at a time before Jamaican teams came to Penn, but nearly 20 years after his first race on Franklin Field, McKenley was instrumental in starting the Jamaican revolution at Penn. As president of Jamaica’s AAU in 1963, McKenley convinced Kingston College coach Donovan Davis to take his team to Penn after watching them dominate at the Jamaican Champs.