Photo by Matt Shatkus of nj.milesplit.us

Meet summary of the performances by the Virginia boys at the Penn Relays on Friday. The Landstown and Woodside 4x100 meter relays were the only ones to advance onto compete into Saturday with Landstown taking second in the large schools finals followed by Woodside in third. Landstown also posted the state's first sub 3:20 4x400 of the year in Friday's qualifying heats with a 48.5 anchor from Darrell Wesh. Isaiah Simmons of Woodbridge had the leading performance in all of the field events with his third place and personal best mark of 63'9" in the shot put. Grafton boys turned in a solid 4th place finish in the boys DMR to make up for just missing the All-American podium at the indoor nationals. Read more...

 

Meet Page & Coverage - Includes results, photo galleries, & interviews.

 

 

When you’re a New York track and field fan the buzz about The Penn Relays always starts in March.  Coaches remind each other to get their entries in and try to find out if their relays and athletes are going to make the cut.

 

PHILADELPHIA – Redemption. It’s the biggest cliché in sport – to try and fail then try again and succeed. It’s a cleansing of sorts, washing away of doubt and memories that make you cringe. And sometimes proof that at least someone was wrong.

Chad Wright, JAM, won the boys discus with a Meet Record 191-11. (Photo by Don Rich)

 

Oregon won the men's distance medley relay race going away Friday at the Penn Relays in 9:30.69. It was the Ducks' first win in any race in the 115-year history of the Penn Relays.

The Akron Distance Medley Relay team of Joe Mummert, James Seale, Willie Brown and Zachary Brown broke a school record with a time of 9:59.17 at the prestigious Penn Relays.

Sophomore Jared Thomas took second in the championship division of the discus as the Bulls wrapped up their second day of competition in the 116th Penn Relays Friday afternoon at Franklin Field...

PHILADELPHIA - Middle Tennessee's Stanley Gbagbeke won the college men's long jump championships at the Penn Relays with a mark of 25-11 (7.9m) on Friday.

On the second day of action at the 116th Penn Relays the University of Kentucky track and field team had a solid outing as the men's 4x100-meter relay squad qualified for the men's Championship of America at University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – VMI's Chad Lawson and Cody Davis took part in events during Friday's proceedings at the Penn Relays, as the meet continued at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa.

PHILADELPHIA – When Pat Schellberg crossed the finish line his jaw dropped as he raised his arms, as if somehow he was the most surprised person in the stadium. The way he raced though, was quite the opposite of the Delbarton (N.J.) senior’s initial reaction.

For the second straight day, the Miami University women's track and field team saw a school record fall at the Penn Relays, as senior Amanda Mirochna, juniors Katie Lenahan and Kelley Miller and redshirt freshman Jillian Dickman broke the 4x1500m relay record Friday at the prestigious meet held at Franklin Field and hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.

Indiana completed day two of competition at the Penn Relays. The Hoosiers got a pair of top-five finishes and four top-ten finishes along with a pair of heat wins in relays.

The Auburn track and field teams continued competition at the 115th running of the Penn Relays on Friday, posting one fourth-place finish and recording two of the fastest times in the preliminaries of two other events.

Senior Brent LaRue finished third in the men's 400m hurdles to lead the Wake Forest track & field contingent on day two of the Penn Relays.

It was a strong race for the Villanova men running the Distance Medley Championship of America at the 116th Penn Relays on Friday afternoon at Franklin Field. The Wildcats held good position throughout the race and a final push from Carl Mackenzie in the last 100 meters sent them into second with a combined time of 9:33.93.

The Fordham men's and women's outdoor track and field teams opened competition at the 2010 Penn Relays on Thursday where the women's 4x100 relay broke a school record and Bridget Moriarty turned in Fordham's second fastest time ever in the 3000m.

Texas A&M women put together an impressive day with a collegiate record in the shuttle hurdle relay and defended a 4 x 100 title. The Aggie men led qualyfing in three relay events - 4x1, 4x2, 4x4.

The UCF track & field team competed on day two of 116th The Penn Relays Carnival on Friday, with a top-10 finish from senior LaKendra Thames (Winter Garden, Fla.) and a strong showing by the 4x200-meter relay team highlighting the action.

After enjoying an outstanding opening day at the 116th Penn Relays Carnival, the Nittany Lion track and field teams continued to impress amongst elite competition, Friday at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Leading the way individually was senior Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), who sprinted to the fourth-fastest time in qualifying in a national-class 100-meter hurdle field with a wind-aided 13.10 (+3.1). The event final is set for 3:20 p.m., on Saturday.

After a late stay at distance night, the 116th running of the Penn Relays Carnival is on its second day and it's a perfect weekend in Philadelphia for one of the world's most-renowned track meets. Historic Franklin Field is the setting and there was not a cloud in the sky today as the temperature climbed as high as 72 degrees with some of the country's best athletes competing in front of 38,940 fans.

The Wolverine quartet of Brendon Blacklaws, David St. Amant, Dallas Bowden and Lex Williams placed fourth in the Distance Medley Championship of America on day two of the Penn Relays.

Allison Mendez ran the fastest 10K by a Horn since 2007 while the DMR clcoked the eighth-fastest time in UT history.

PHILADELPHIA – Joanna Stevens said she knew. She knew it all week. She knew it when she took the baton.

PHILADELPHIA – The Penn Relays was supposed to be the first time that Garden City assembled its best relay team, the first time they made a full-out assault on the 4x800 relay this season.

The Western Branch girls had to sweat it out to find if their qualifying heat performance of 47.11 was good enough to qualify them for the Championships of America finals tomorrow in the 4x100 meter relay. Their time was fourth among the large schools division, but tied them for 8th fastest overall with Bishop Hartley High School from Ohio from the small schools division.

 

After review by the timing crew, it was determined by the thousandths of a second that the relay squad of Tiffany Ellick, Keilah Tyson, Desmonae Gray, and Taranisha Taylor would move onto the COA finals instead of the Ohio squad. Bethel was the second fastest Virginia girls team in the 4x100 with the 12th fastest time in the large schools division at 48.19.

 

In field event action, Desmone Gray of Western Branch proved that her US leading mark over 40 feet in indoors was no one meet fluke as she went over 40 feet on the big stage at Penn Relays with a new outdoor best and state leading mark of 40'2" to place fourth in a very competitive triple jump competition. Teammate Keilah Tyson went out of the high jump competition after clearing 5'5", while Henrico's Stephanie Oleson finished 8th in the place after clearing 11'1.75".

 

Despite not having a qualifier for the finals of the 4x400 meter relay, it was a strong afternoon for the Virginia girls in the event with a half dozen schools running under 4 minutes including three heat winners in Landstown at 3:56.01, South County at 3:57.57, and McLean at 3:59.72. James Robinson finished third in Landstown's heat with a time of 3:59.72. Especially impressed by the Northern Region schools as South County and McLean now have joined the region's established quartet from Robinson as teams able to compete with the Eastern Region's 4x400s.

 

The Bethel girls ran the fastest 4x400 time among all schools from Virginia and were only a few seconds and places off from making the finals with their finishing time of 3:50.93. Most impressive was the consistency in splits for all four legs Rashuan Combs (57.6), Maya Moore (57.8), Jazmine Wright (57.7), Dominique Johnson (57.8).

 

Osbourn Park was the final team under four minutes from Virginia as they took 7th in a very competitive faster section including Jamaicans and Californians with a time of 3:59.52. 

 

Osbourn Park girls and West Springfield girls finished right together in their qualifier heat of the girls 4x800 at Penn Relays at 9:19 for the state's top 2 times! Osbourn Park finished fourth (9:19.10) and West Springfield took fifth (9:19.44) in their heat, but their times unfortunately did not advance them onto the Championships of America finals tomorrow. Cut-off time for the finals was 9:17.70. A school record performance most likely for Osbourn Park.

 

Osbourn Park's Ariel Karabinus, who ran a 2:14 split on her 4x800 meter relay in the morning, competed later in the girls' mile run where she recorded her first true sub 5 mile to finish sixth overall in a time of 4:58.44. Karabinus finished just behind the other Virginian in the race, 1600 meter state indoor champion Kathleen Lautzenheiser of Midlothian who finished a respectable fourth place with a time of 4:57.81.

 

Another middle of the pack finish for the Virginia distance girls was found in the 3000 meter run field of 21 runners with Katherine Walker in 9th place at 9:51.64 and closely followed in by Kaitlyn Davis of Mountain View in 10th place at 9:54.53. Their Penn Relays 3K performances would convert to personal best 3200 times for both runners at 10:34 for Walker and 10:37 for Davis.

 

More to come throughout Thursday...

After placing second for the past two years, junior Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.)turned in a gold-medal effort in the women's javelin championship, Thursday at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field. McQuillen, who was also a Penn Relays Champion as a high schooler, topped a national-field to earn the 12th individual victory in the history of the Nittany Lion women's program. The Nittany Lions are halfway through the first day of the 116th running of the Penn Relays, with the women's distance medley, women's 4x400-meter relay, and the Penn Relays Distance Carnival on tap for this evening.

Quite a few of the state's elite individuals and relays will be competing this week at the Penn Relays, which is already buzzing since the announcement of 100 and 200 meter dash world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica will be competing in the historic event.

 

Thursday Girls Preview: The Blacksburg girls will certainly be in a great atmosphere and competition to break their own state record of 11:57 and potentially win the distance medley relay led by the Stevens twins. Also in the same race will be National Scholastic Indoor Championship runners-up Lake Braddock, who ran just over 12 minutes indoors not at full strength.

 

Kathleen Lautzenheiser of Midlothian and Ariel Karabinus of Osbourn Park get to renew their state indoor 1600 meter battle on Thursday in a loaded mile field while Northwest Region rivals Katherine Walker of Brooke Point and Kaitlyn Davis of Mountain View look to run well under 10 minutes in the 3000 meter run after running significant lifetime bests in the 3200 meter run this spring.

 

Western Branch girls will not only present Virginia's best chance to make the Championships of America finals in the 4x100 meter relay after rolling fast 4x200 meter times indoors on flat tracks, but have quite a few individuals expected to perform well individually in the field events including state high jump champion Keilah Tyson and 40+ foot triple jumper Desmone Gray. The Bethel girls will be the state's top representative and most likely finals qualifier in the 4x400 meter relay after running 3:52 indoors and earning Nike Indoor All-American honors in the event.

 

More on the Penn Relays can be found at the meet website: http://pennrelaysonline.com/

The Penn Relays Carnival: Relay and Individual HS Acceptances

It was Texas University assistant coach John Hayes who told Marcellus senior Mike Querica that he was going to be a half-miler.

Penn Relays Individual HS Acceptances; Relays to be posted at a later date.

Katherine Walker (pictured left by Brandon Miles) of Brooke Point has proved to other female distance runners that you do not have to be running phenominal times out of the gate as an underclassmen to become of the state's elite athletes as a high school senior. Walker had modest times as a junior last year of 5:23 in the 1600, 11:22 in the 3200 3200, and 19:57 in the 5K while qualifying for her first state meet in the spring in the 3200 meter run with a 13th place finish at Todd Stadium. There was little indication of the huge jump which Walker would make in the following year.

 

A new and vastly improved runner emerged in the fall as Walker was running consistently in the 18 minute range for 5K, pulled out an upset win at the Northwest Region Championships, and nearly claimed a state title as a first-time qualifier at Great Meadow falling to second in the final stretch of the Group AAA race. After two strong races and lifetime bests in back to back weekends with a 4:59 1600 two weekends ago at North Stafford and a 10:38 3200 this past weekend at Mountain View, Walker has asserted herself as one of the top state title contenders this spring. Read more for interview with Walker...

Photo by Ted Plunkett

 

Thanks to YouTube, Woodbridge junior Isaiah Simmons has taught himself to become the state's best shot put thrower and potentially one of the best all-time in state history. Simmons had an incredible series of throws at the indoor state championships this year in Hampton with three throws over 60 feet including a 63'3" best despite missing valuable practice time and meets during the winter due to the snow storms.

 

With the warmer weather which accompanies the outdoor season, Simmons has been able to get out to throw more often including two recent 62+ foot performances in three days this past week at the Prince William County Championships at Gar-Field High School and Wildcat Invitational at Mountain View High School. The Woodbridge junior has his attention completely now on track & field after a scare from a serious injury during the football season and has three full seasons to challenge Dan Krueger's state record of 68'5.50" which has stood the test of time since 1978. Read more for interview with Simmons...

A list of Virginians accepted to compete in the individual events for the 2010 Penn Relays. A full list of entrants can be found here.

 

Boys Mile Run: Anthony Kostelac (Albemarle), Colin Mearns (Jamestown), Drew Paisley (Ocean Lakes)

Boys 3K:, Chris Foley (Chantilly), Natnael Meseret (Robert E. Lee), Yazid Zouaimia (Centreville)

Boys 400H: DreQuan Hoskey (Henrico)

Boys High Jump: Elbert Maxwell (Hayfield)

Boys Pole Vault: Matt Hazelgren (Stafford), Matt Hoogland (Lake Braddock)

Boys Triple Jump: Marcus Dean (Western Branch), Kendrick Smith (Western Branch)

Boys Shot Put: Isaiah Simmons (Woodbridge)

Boys Discus: Kyle Fortney (Fauquier)

Girls Mile Run: Ariel Karabinus (Osbourn Park), Kathleen Lautzenheiser (Midlothian)

Girls 3K: Kaitlyn Davis (Mountain View), Katherine Walker (Brooke Point)

Girls High Jump: Dominique Graham (McLean), Sherhae Holloway (Highland Springs), Keilah Tyson (Western Branch)

Girls Pole Vault: Stephanie Oleson (Henrico)

Girls Long Jump: Tiffany Ellick (Western Branch), Renay Ransaw (Hampton)

Girls Triple Jump: Desmone Gray (Western Branch) Camille Thomas (Western Branch)

Daniel junior Sinead Haughey placed fifth in the 3,200-meter run at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. with a time of 11 minutes, 00.96 seconds. Haughey talks about the meet and rest of the season.