Calabar won the High School Boys 4x400m Championship of America in 2013. Their road to victory just got a lot smoother with the reinstatement of captain Michael O'Hara.

By Johanna Gretschel, MileSplit

Calabar High School captain Michael O'Hara, the Jamaican Junior National Champion for 100 meters, was declared eligible today to compete in The Penn Relays Carnival.

The decision comes after a tumultuous week for the high school senior, who was declared ineligible by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Assocation (PIAA) last Monday, April 13, amidst allegations that he had signed a professional contract to represent Jamaican telecommunications company Digicel as a brand ambassador.

O'Hara's legal team, including the United States-based attorneys Paul Greene of Global Sports Advocates and Steven Silver of McBreen & Kopko, successfully challenged the PIAA's ruling. The PIAA and The Penn Relays agreed to reinstate O'Hara's amateur status.

With O'Hara back on the track, Calabar becomes dangerous to not only win the Championship of America in both the 4x100m and the 4x400m, but to break the Relays Meet Records in each event.

At the Jamaican Champs last month, Calabar set Jamaican National Records of 3:06.76 in the 4x400m and 39.08 in the 4x100m. The Penn Relays Meet Records are 3:08.72 and 39.72.

O'Hara did not race on the 4x400m at the Jamaican Champs, but will likely compete on the relay at Penn. He split 45.7 on last year's third place squad and owns a personal best of 10.19 in the 100 meter dash.

Fellow Jamaican Jaheel Hyde (Wolmer's Boys School) was ruled ineligible in the same hearing last week. His status remains ineligible.

Jaheel Hyde Athlete Profile

Michael O'Hara Athlete Profile