The Penn Relays is truly one of the best organized track and field recruiting meets that any school can attend. The meet has both a high school and a college sections competing at the same time, making it the best recruiting grounds for high school students. The meet this year for Bishop Michael Eldon showcased our 10th, 11th and 12th grade talents. Our students’ academic excellence gives us the edge in opportunities for recruitment and enhances our athletic talents. The students who were taken to the Penn Relays this year have already received requests about scholarships for the 2017 college school year.

  My recommendation for the ACEA Schools including St. Johns and St. Anne’s (even St. Andrews, when their student population increases), I suggest that we all make an effort to book as one separate but equal body (ground transportation, airfare, hotel etc.) to get the most value for the money we are dispensing. It is also important for us to know the caliber of all athletes in our school systems, so when it comes to recruiting, if it does not exist at one school we know what exists within our school system. Therefore we must do a better job of communicating with one another to improve opportunities for all students in the ACEA organization.
  Here is a testimony from one of Bishop Michael Eldon’s athletes who would have participated in this year’s Penn Relays:

  “Last weekend, the BMES relay team and I had the opportunity to run at the Penn Relays. Since it was our first time going to the meet, it was truly a new and eye-opening experience for us all. Personally, I feel that meets such as the Penn Relays are vital to our young athletic careers. We are familiar with the way track meets are held in the Bahamas but we should also be exposed to the way other meets are held around the world.
 It was very cold on the day of competition, not what any of us were accustomed to, the meet was conducted in a very timely manner and we were introduced to new procedures as to how we were checked in to our appearance on the track for our event. However, to be in a setting where thousands of athletes, both high school and college students from all around the world are competing was a once in a lifetime experience. As an aspiring college athlete, I feel that meets such as this are truly beneficial to my career, from the actual experience to the countless recruiting coaches who were there to witness our skills and talents. The Penn Relays is an experience I will always remember and I am very eager to return.”

  In closing, we need to build our school from a historical point of view, with a balance of athletics and academics. Therefore we need to take a conscious effort in funding our athletics programs. Thank you for your time.
-Wayne Smith