The Penn Relays are the exception to the rule. Most track meets in this country have to deal with paltry attendance. Not so in West Philly. "I think it's the greatest track meet in America," said Michael Johnson, who anchored the Nike International squad to victory in the 4x200-meter relay on Saturday. "The fans are very knowledgeable and it's great to look up and see a lot of people." The 105th Penn Relay Carnival set an all-time three-day attendance record of 96,358. Granted, a number of the fans may have made their way to track's oldest and loudest theater to see deep-seeded collegiate rivalries play themselves out. However, the lion's share of fannies in Franklin Field's historic seats came for other reasons. Many came to watch the world's best Olympic-level athletes make rare stateside appearances and another large contingent wanted to witness regional high school powers square off against the best America, Mexico, Canada, Ireland and a host of Caribbean countries have to offer. The record Thursday and Friday crowds, as well as the fourth-largest Saturday crowd in history, witnessed high school and elite events teemed with high drama. The marquee event for both the elite men and elite women was undoubtedly the 4x200. In both fields, the team from Nike International brought the 44,639 onlookers to their feet with a group of four superstars. The women's quartet circumnavigated the Penn track twice in 1:30.23. Marion Jones, the world's most famous female sprinter, turned in a scorching anchor leg of 21.2 seconds. Exuding confidence, Jones whipped the crowd into a frenzy. "It's so wonderful to come to a meet and perform in front of such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd," Jones said. "Last year we had a similar result, but this year seems more special." The swoosh-emblazoned men's 4x200 squad was similarly excellent. Michael Johnson's stretch run elicited Saturday's most deafening cheers. The team from Adidas played spoiler in the 4x400 meters, defeating its rivals in a Nike-sponsored event. "This is their meet, and so when we come here people say, 'Oh, those guys are here.' They expect us just to show up," said Antonio Pettigrew, who ran Adidas' second leg. "But we just go out and do our job, which is to win." Pettigrew's squad logged the first-ever sub-3:00 time at the Penn Relays, 2:58.52. Their anchor, Jerome Young, came around in just under 44 seconds. Jamaican high schools had to deal with slightly less success than they've become accustomed to at the Relays. The most exciting American victory, and the one that elicited the most chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" from the rafters on 33rd Street was Northwestern High School's stirring win in the 4x400. The team from Hyattsville, Md., won with the third-fastest time in the Carnival's history, 3:10.35. Anchoring the squad, James Graham made it around the track in a mere 45.9. His powerful kick down the final straightaway stuck a knife through the patriotic fervor of the Caribbean-laden, green-black-and-gold flag-waving north stands. Not only did Northwestern beat Jamaica College and St. Iago for the title, but the team from Chester High School in Chester, Pa., also beat the Jamaicans, logging a blistering 3:14.18. Teams from the island have taken the title 11 times since 1985. "I felt confident because my team was doing the best that they can," Graham said. "We deserved to win the medal. It will strengthen us a lot, so we deserve it." There was some more humble Golden Krust patty to be eaten on Saturday. The 4x100-meter relay team from Potomac, Va., waved the Stars and Stripes proudly as they made their victory lap after besting St. Iago by .29 seconds with a time of 41.26. This is only the third American victory in this event since 1979. The hometown distance medley team from Archbishop Prendergast High School won the girls championship on Thursday evening and they owe their medals to the swift feet of Sheila Klick, anchor and miler. Her 4:53.5 final leg catapulted her team all the way from sixth to first. Klick was named the most outstanding girl's high school athlete. That honor on the boy's side went to Ricky Harris of Centreville, Va. He won the 400 meter hurdles with a Relay record time of 50.63, the sixth-best performance all-time by a U.S. highschooler. More impressively, Harris has a year left in school and his time is the fastest ever by an American high school junior. There are, of course, hundreds of other outstanding stories that deserve telling. There's no time for an exhaustive treatment, however -- the unrivaled Penn Relays defy description.
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