Penn Relays Carnival 2004

We still have eight meets to process from the past two weeks, but we switched gears to get 150+ action pix of PA athletes in the invitiatonal relays and track and field events at the Penn Relays. PA Boys were added Friday night to the Girls pix we posted Wednesday. That means to catch up, we\'ll be unable to cover a meet in person this weekend. But we\'ll be on the way to Baldwin next Friday for the Baldwin Invitational. Can you identify the Penn Relays starter (who happens to coach in the PCL)?

BOYS 4x100, 4x400 Championship Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

Boys Javelin, High Jump, Shot Put, Discus, Pole Vault Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

Boys 4x800 and DMR Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

Boys 400 Hurdles, Mile and 3000 Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

PA Girls 4x100, 4x400 Championship Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

PA Girls Javelin, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

PA Girls 4x800 and DMR Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

PA Girls 400 Hurdles, Mile and 3000 Action Pix from the 2004 Penn Relays @ Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania

We still have eight meets to process from the past two weeks, but we\'re switching gears to get 150+ action pix of PA athletes in the invitiatonal relays and track and field events at the Penn Relays. PA Girls are now on. That means to catch up, we\'ll be unable to cover a meet in person this weekend. But we\'ll be on the way to Baldwin next Friday for the Baldwin Invitational. You probably recognize Bill Cosby. Here he\'s urging an event champ to show her new watch to 25,000 people. What a guy!

Lander University honored athletes from nine varsity sports and the cheerleading team Monday (4/26/04) night at the institution\'s 36th Annual Athletics Banquet in Horne Arena.

Qutoes from Frances Koons after her 3rd place in Thursday's Mile; Cumberland Valley coach Bill Bixler after his team's 3rd place DMR on Friday afternoon; Andrew McClure after his Discus win on Saturday morning, and Andrew Rademacher, repeat champ in the Pole Vault.

Lunch can upset your stomach in more ways than one. A story on how Bensalem missed the Championship of America 4x100 by Bill Kenny of the Bucks County Courier Times.

Highlights from Virginia athletes and relays at the 2004 Penn Relays.

Quotes from Auston Papay, Chris Spooner and Ian Fitzgerald after winning ways on Friday at Penn.

Pennsbury\'s Tom Stevenson held off Bensalem\'s LaMonte Louis over the anchor leg to win the Philadelphia-area 4x400 championship in 3:20.56. Bensalem, which had qualified for the 4x100 Championship of America which was run earlier in the afternoon Saturday, missed the start. In the Philadelphia -area Girls\' championship, Wissahickon was 2nd in 3:50.74 to New Jersey\'s WInslow Township. Winslow also won the boys 4x400 COA.

Adding to her honors this year, West Catholic junior Nicole Leach has been name the Female High School Athlete of the Meet @ the Penn Relays Carnival. She won the 400 Hurdles Thursday in a record 57.84, and contributed to relay wins in the Philadelphia Catholic League 4x400 (3:45.56) on Thursday, the Girls\' Small Schools 4x100 Championship on Friday (47.68), and Tri-State Girls\' 4x100 on Saturday (47.60); while placing 4th in the Championship of America 4x400 in 3:47.96 on Friday.

Pennsylvania claims two more indivudual titles on the final day of the Penn Relays as Andrew McClure, the Florida transfer, uses a throw of 171-09 in the first round to win the boys\' Discus. And Andrew Rademacher, the Hickory senior, repeated as Penn Relays champion, clearing 15-09. He had come into the competition at 15-05.

Quotes from PA Penn Relays\' Champions Auston Papay, Chris Spooner and Ian Fitzgerald.

Everybody had Lewisburg\'s Chris Spooner on their lists. After all, he was the number one seed. But Victor Gras is better known. And he has been talking about going sub-4 by the end of the year. North Hills\' Ian Fitzgerald was seeded 24th. But that was because he hasn\'t run the distance in some time. Those who knew, were sure his recent 4:14 mile/1:57 double and his 2nd place at Penn a year before were no flukes.

In the Shot Put, PA won another individual championship, as Auston Papay, the Sharon senior, threw 63-11 in the first round. Gwynedd-Mercy held off a final lap charge from Boys & Girls of New York City, and took top American honors, garnering 3rd in the 4x800 Championship of America by just .01, going 9:04.57. The quartet of Kelly McGrath, Kahki Mealy, Kate Vernon and Maura Ryan split 2:19.0, 2:16.5, 2:15.3 and 2:13.8 for the best PA time in years, and is just over six seconds off the state record set by Upper Dublin in 1982. The race was won by Edwin Allen of Jamaica in 8:50.20, and Holmwood Technical, Jamaica, was 2nd in 9:00.56. West Catholic won the girls Small School 4x100 in 47.68, and in the Large School race, Simon Gratz was 8th in 48.16. Juan Cave, St. Joseph\'s Prep was 2nd in the High Jump, clearing 6-09.75. LaSalle\'s Kevin Moore was the top PA finisher in the Javelin, getting 2nd with a throw of 186-10. Favorite Mike Holsberger of Penn Cambria had a foul, one throw, and apperently retired because of injury. Coatesville\'s Tayvon Gray was 3rd in the Discus with a throw of 139-00.

The North Penn 4x800 is the only PA team that moved into Championship of America 4x800, going 7:50.53 to get 3rd in their heat. And Lewisburg, which ran 7:56.57 missed by two seconds after, despite a heroic anchor by Chris Spooner in 1:52.6. There were baton drops at the start of one race by both Wissahickon and Carroll, while in another race, Upper Dublin lost the baton.

While there is lots more to report from Thursday after the meet, the highlights after the meet records by Nicole Leach, Ruby Radocaj and Lindsay Regan include West Catholic making the 4x400 Championship of America, Francis Koons taking 3rd in Mile, and Katie Thaeder running a smart race to be PA\'s finisher in 3000.

Quotes from Nicole Leach, Ruby Radocaj and Lindsay Regan, who each set a meet record on the first day of the 110th running of the Penn Relays Carnival.

Quotes from Nicole Leach, Ruby Radocaj and Lindsay Regan, who each set a meet record on the first day of the 110th running of the Penn Relays Carnival.

Easton sophomore Lindsay Regan sets PA\'s 3rd Penn Relays record of the day, winning Pole Vault with a jump of 12-07.50.

Four PA teams have advanced to the Championship of America 4x800 scheduled for 12:25 Friday. The teams include Gwynedd-Mercy (9:13.62) who won their heat with the 5th fastest time overall; Haverford 9:19.09, Hatboro-Horsham 9:19.18, and Allentown Central Catholic 9:19.24. Archbishop Prendergast missed by just five seconds two spots.

Ruby Radocaj won the girls Javelin today, a year after finishing as the top American. The Minnesota-bound Williamsport senior won the event on her first throw, and came close to matching in on the first throw of the finals. It is a new Penn Relays record. (results coming)

West Catholic junior Nicole Leach came from behind over the final 100 meters to set the Penn Relays record for the high school girls 400 Hurdles, breaking the previous mark held by Melanie Walker of St. Jago Jamaica, who ran 57.85 in 2001. Including quotes from Leach and one of her coaches.

Check here for PA Flash results + links to each day\'s results are on the Penn Relays Site. Check this story for those links.

Alan Webb, the Outstanding H.S. Performer at the 2000 and 2001 Penn Relays, is planning to run hard in the "Olympic Development" 5,000 meters on Thursday night(9:30pm), and then see how he can do in the mile on Saturday.

High School Altert from the Penn Relays-Sanctioning problems lead to race assignment changes. But some good news out of NY.

Frances Koons commits to Villanova, but first there's a big race to run "for family and for Pennsylvania."

The Penn Relays Carnival released the list of accepted high school relays teams. Headlining a deep group of PA teams are the Cardinal O\'Hara boys DMR, the #3 seed; and the Gwynedd-Mercy girls 4x800 with one of the top seeds in the two Small Schools divisions, and Hatboro-Horsham, also with a top seed in the Large Schools division. Cumberland Valley, Cardinal O\'Hara and LaSalle are in both the DMR and 4x800; while the Radnor girls will race in both events. Noticeably absent is the 4x800 squad from Central Dauphin, who will be competing at the McDowell Invitational in Erie that weekend. CD has brokedn 8 twice this season, once without their top 800 guy.

Former Merion Mercy star Evelyn Dwyer and Texas to pass up Penn RelaysFrom Walt Murphy\'s News Service When the NCAA went to Regional qualifying for its Div.I Championships last year, the directors of the major spring relay carnivals expressed concern over the effect that the ensuing schedule changes would have on their meets.

Frances Koons, Nicole Leach, Ruby Radocaj, Chris Spooner, Andrew Rademacher, Juan Cave, Austin Papay, Ryan Whiting, Andrew McClure, Mike Holsberger and Kevin Moore earn top two seedings at the Penn Relays. The complete list of PA\'s Individual entries is listed here.

The deadline for high school entries for the Penn Relays Carnival is Tuesday, March 30th by 4pm. Get info from the Penn Relays web site.High School Deadline set for March 30th And the deadline for the Penn Relays Distance Classic, with a 20K, 5K and 1-mile Fun Run for Kids, is April 12th. PDF on the Penn Relays Distance Classic