PHILADELPHIA, USA — Immaculate Conception High School athlete Jaeda Robinson could hardly contain her emotion after delivering a strong performance to secure the silver medal in the girls’ triple jump competition at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Thursday.

Robinson, fresh off an impressive showing at the Carifta Games where she clinched the gold medal in the girls’ Under-17 triple jump, soared to a distance of 12.70m, securing the silver. St Jago’s Jade Ann Dawkins claimed the event with a mark of 13.01m, while Celine Riddle of Holmwood secured third place with a mark of 12.69m.

Competing at the Penn Relays for the first time, Robinson expressed her delight with her performance, especially considering her competitors were older than her.

“Given the fact that I am 15 years old competing against 16, 17, and 18-year-olds, I am speechless because nobody expected this from me as a 15-year-old to come here and perform as well as I did today,” she said. “So, I am really ecstatic and proud of myself.

“I am really happy and excited because I am proud of myself and the work that I have put in for this. I have prepared really hard for this event, so I am happy with my achievement here.

“This is my first time competing at the Penn Relays, and coming out with a second-place finish is a huge achievement for me. I just want to build on this for the rest of the season.”

Robinson said that this experience will boost her confidence, especially considering the cold conditions during the championship.

“The competition wasn’t difficult for me because we compete the same in Jamaica, and I knew all of these girls, except for the weather,” she said. “I really enjoyed it, and I am happy to come out with a second-place finish.

“This will certainly give me a lot more courage and confidence going forward in my career, so I am just going to go back and train a lot harder.”

Coached by Franz Forde, Robinson, who has recorded a personal best jump of 13.21m this season, now aims to secure a spot on Jamaica’s team for the World Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, this August. She said that surpassing her personal best effort in the event is one of her main focuses for the remainder of the season.

“As you know, National Trials are coming up for the World Under-20 Championships, so I want to make the team first and when I get there to the World Under-20, I will do the best that I can and represent my country well,” she said.

“I know that I definitely can surpass the 13.21m that I have achieved this season, so that is my main focus. I am just going to train a lot harder for the National Championships, and hopefully, everything will fall into place.”