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NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 —
Grenada’s Inter-Secondary Schools’ Athletics (InterCol) champions, St Andrew’s
Anglican Secondary School (SAASS), will not participate in this weekend’s Penn
Relays in Philadelphia due to visa challenges.
GrenadaSports has been reliably
informed that members of the SAASS team were unable to secure visa appointments
in time for the competition, forcing the withdrawal of what was expected to be
a strong national representation.
SAASS had planned to field relay
teams in both the Boys’ 4x100m and 4x400m events, along with competitors in the
Boys’ Javelin Throw and Triple Jump. The 4x100m team was set to include Randy
Jones, D’Ron St Cyr, Crystophe Calliste, and Darell Daniel, while Teavughn
Hall, Calliste, Daniel, and Phillip Mitchell were listed for the 4x400m relay.
Individually, Deshawn Smart was
down to compete in the javelin, with Calliste also scheduled for the triple
jump.
Former InterCol champions Grenada
Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS) will be the lone school from Grenada competing at
the meet. GBSS secured their visas in early March, ahead of the InterCol
Championships, and will join approximately 16 other international high schools,
alongside teams from Jamaica and the United States.
GBSS will be represented by
Nathaniel Alfred, Karmal Joseph, Josh Thomas, Kashay Stephen, and Qwanell
Pierre, as they take on a strong international field.
Grenada will still have
representation through athletes competing for Jamaican institutions. Egypt
Benjamin is expected to line up for Edwin Allen High School in the Girls’
4x100m and 4x400m relays, while Dylan Logan will represent Kingston College in
the Boys’ Discus Throw.
The Penn Relays, one of the most
renowned track and field events in the United States, gets underway on Thursday and runs
through Saturday.
SAASS’ absence is a significant
blow, particularly after their historic InterCol triumph this year, as the
school misses an opportunity for its athletes to compete on a big stage.
2 comments:
It is unfortunate that the coaches and supporters of SAASS only saw the need to invest into their athletes after their historic win. Penn Relay participation requires months of planning and resources, which should have been in motion long ahead of the local school games. Also GBSS attended last year with some of the same athletes, therefore it's inaccurate to state their visa was obtained in March. Hopefully the Ministry of Sports will aim to support and send athletes in the upcoming years.
Please double-check your information before posting as a 'fact'. Do you know how many athletes from last year are returning this year? Do you know the duration of the visas (from last year) for those returning this year? I hope you can get the facts and edit your post.
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