Pressure Track Club Wins Gold in 4x100m in Jamaica
05/18/2022
Pressure Track Club won gold in the 4x100m relay during a meet in Jamaica.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (May 17, 2022) — Pressure Track Club is coming back to the U.S. as winners. The elite youth track team won gold in the 4x100m relay at the Anthrick Sports Management: Prep School Development Meet in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday, May 14.
“Adversity creates opportunity to test your will and Team Pressure spoke to the nation. We don’t bend or fold, we just chase gold,” Head Coach Dashaun Morris said.
Pressure Track Club is a 4x100m relay team of some of the fastest 11- and 12-year-old boys in the country. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is helping to work on a docuseries about the team called “Protect the Crown”, which highlights the spirited rivalry between track and field’s dominant two countries — the U.S. and Jamaica.
The meet included 21 teams invited from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada, Trinidad, and other Caribbean countries — meaning Team Pressure competed against the best-of-the-best.
"We came. They ran. We conquered! I'm so grateful to be part of this movement with the Pressure Team. Very thankful to Anthrick Sports Management for hosting us and taking great care of all of us,” Nina Harrison, Team Chief Consultant, said. “Nothing but love and respect for the Jamaican people and culture. Until next time..."
The team, consisting of Dashaun “Honeybadger” Morris II, Kareen “2K” Knox II, Rudyard “RJ” West, and Kaden “Big O” Bennett, is the first U.S. youth team to compete in Jamaica.
"Being able to compete in Jamaica was an awesome experience. Teamwork makes the dream work. Blessed to be part of Pressure Track and can't wait to compete in Jamaica again,” West said.
“Usain Bolt is one of my idols, so running in Jamaica was a dream come true,” Knox added.
The overall mission of the docuseries and the team’s trip to Jamaica is to establish a strong bond between the U.S. youth and the Jamaican youth, providing them with a rewarding experience of sportsmanship and mentorship.
That mentorship came to fruition when the boys met Jamaican Olympic gold medalist, Yohan Blake, who provided words of encouragement.
“Jamaica was amazing. I got to meet Yohan Blake; that was dope. I can't wait to come back next year and do it again," Morris said.
“Jamaica was different. I had a lot of fun and met new people. I learned something new about myself. I can't wait to go back. Oh, and I like how the Jamaicans respond with 'Yah mon!',” Bennett said.
With a win under their belts, Pressure Track Club is now working towards their next international meet in Toronto, Canada, before culminating their journey at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Greensboro, North Carolina this August. The team also has a new coach on board: U.S. Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene.
"I'm excited and looking forward to Canada. Let's go run that thing,” Greene said.
Greene competed in the 2000 Sydney Games and 2004 Athens Games, bringing home four medals. He still holds the world record for the indoor 60m. He looks forward to bringing his knowledge and experience to Team Pressure.
Watch Team Pressure dominate in the 4x100m!
About Team Pressure:
Meet the first U.S. Youth 4x1 Relay Team cultivated with talent from across the country. In Track & Field, relays are run in teams of four, with each member running an equal leg. Unlike all other open events, the success of a relay is largely contingent upon the equal success of each relay leg. Team Pressure is simply untouchable in this event due to the incredible explosive speed of the individual team members: Dashaun “Honeybadger” Morris II (Grayson, GA), Kareen “2K” Knox II (Las Vegas, NV), Rudyard (RJ) “Jizzle” West Jr. (West Monroe, LA), and Kaden “Big O” Coleman-Bennett (Washington, DC).
About AAU Track & Field:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports event organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by approximately 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. AAU Track and Field alumni include Olympic legends such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Carl Lewis to more recent runners like Sydney McLaughlin (2020 Olympic Gold medalist in 400m hurdles), Athing Mu (2020 Olympic Gold medalist in 800m hurdles) and Grant Holloway (Olympian, world record holder in 60m hurdles). More than fifty (50) AAU Track and Field alumni participated in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Visit aautrackandfield.org for more information.
“Adversity creates opportunity to test your will and Team Pressure spoke to the nation. We don’t bend or fold, we just chase gold,” Head Coach Dashaun Morris said.
Pressure Track Club is a 4x100m relay team of some of the fastest 11- and 12-year-old boys in the country. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is helping to work on a docuseries about the team called “Protect the Crown”, which highlights the spirited rivalry between track and field’s dominant two countries — the U.S. and Jamaica.
The meet included 21 teams invited from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada, Trinidad, and other Caribbean countries — meaning Team Pressure competed against the best-of-the-best.
"We came. They ran. We conquered! I'm so grateful to be part of this movement with the Pressure Team. Very thankful to Anthrick Sports Management for hosting us and taking great care of all of us,” Nina Harrison, Team Chief Consultant, said. “Nothing but love and respect for the Jamaican people and culture. Until next time..."
The team, consisting of Dashaun “Honeybadger” Morris II, Kareen “2K” Knox II, Rudyard “RJ” West, and Kaden “Big O” Bennett, is the first U.S. youth team to compete in Jamaica.
"Being able to compete in Jamaica was an awesome experience. Teamwork makes the dream work. Blessed to be part of Pressure Track and can't wait to compete in Jamaica again,” West said.
“Usain Bolt is one of my idols, so running in Jamaica was a dream come true,” Knox added.
The overall mission of the docuseries and the team’s trip to Jamaica is to establish a strong bond between the U.S. youth and the Jamaican youth, providing them with a rewarding experience of sportsmanship and mentorship.
That mentorship came to fruition when the boys met Jamaican Olympic gold medalist, Yohan Blake, who provided words of encouragement.
“Jamaica was amazing. I got to meet Yohan Blake; that was dope. I can't wait to come back next year and do it again," Morris said.
“Jamaica was different. I had a lot of fun and met new people. I learned something new about myself. I can't wait to go back. Oh, and I like how the Jamaicans respond with 'Yah mon!',” Bennett said.
With a win under their belts, Pressure Track Club is now working towards their next international meet in Toronto, Canada, before culminating their journey at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Greensboro, North Carolina this August. The team also has a new coach on board: U.S. Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene.
"I'm excited and looking forward to Canada. Let's go run that thing,” Greene said.
Greene competed in the 2000 Sydney Games and 2004 Athens Games, bringing home four medals. He still holds the world record for the indoor 60m. He looks forward to bringing his knowledge and experience to Team Pressure.
Watch Team Pressure dominate in the 4x100m!
About Team Pressure:
Meet the first U.S. Youth 4x1 Relay Team cultivated with talent from across the country. In Track & Field, relays are run in teams of four, with each member running an equal leg. Unlike all other open events, the success of a relay is largely contingent upon the equal success of each relay leg. Team Pressure is simply untouchable in this event due to the incredible explosive speed of the individual team members: Dashaun “Honeybadger” Morris II (Grayson, GA), Kareen “2K” Knox II (Las Vegas, NV), Rudyard (RJ) “Jizzle” West Jr. (West Monroe, LA), and Kaden “Big O” Coleman-Bennett (Washington, DC).
About AAU Track & Field:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports event organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by approximately 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. AAU Track and Field alumni include Olympic legends such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Carl Lewis to more recent runners like Sydney McLaughlin (2020 Olympic Gold medalist in 400m hurdles), Athing Mu (2020 Olympic Gold medalist in 800m hurdles) and Grant Holloway (Olympian, world record holder in 60m hurdles). More than fifty (50) AAU Track and Field alumni participated in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Visit aautrackandfield.org for more information.
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