Relays' high jump records broken in amateur levels

Pulsating claps of encouragement rang from Franklin Field's East stands, grabbing the attention of the majority of the crowd focused on the relays being run on the track itself. The interruption was enough to demonstrate that some of the real excitement of the Penn Relays took place in the field, and not just on the 400-meter oval. The Relays record for the high jump was broken not once, but twice -- at the high school and collegiate levels. On Friday, Mark Boswell, a youngster from Central Pell High (Ontario, Canada) initiated the assault on the event's records. He cleared a record height of seven feet, 4 1/2 inches -- smashing the previous Relays mark set more than a decade earlier. However, just setting the Relays record did not seem to satisfy the current junior world national champion. Boswell went on to make two more attempts at breaking the national high school record of 7'6" set by Dothel Edwards in 1983. Boswell's first attempt at clearing the record-breaking height saw him just graze the bar with the back of his feet, but with enough impetus to knock it off. He then made a second attempt at the height, but fatigue began to take its toll. Boswell produced one of his worst jumps of the afternoon. However, his failure to set the high school record was softened by his Relays record. While Friday showcased the distant future of high jump, Saturday at the Relays provided the stage for the near future of American high jump to shine. Gregory Roberts, from Morehouse College, utilized the intensity and emotion of the crowd to sore to a Relays record of 7'6", narrowly breaking the old mark of 7' 5 3/4" established two years earlier. "The crowd and the competition definitely had a lot to do with me doing it today," said Roberts. "With [Bill] Cosby being here and emotion from the crowd, it gave the edge I needed to get over the top." The team from Morehouse College wore Ennis Cosby's name, Cosby's recently murdered son, on the sleeve of its sweatshirts to remember one of their fallen graduates. The inspiration provided by the Cosby family certainly aided Roberts on his historic day. Roberts, like Boswell, was also not satisfied with just winning first prize and setting the Relays record but also wanted to attempt to break the field record of 7' 7 1/4", held by Dwight Stone. However, like his younger counterpart, it had been a long, hot day and fatigue was about to unleash its wrath once again. "Because of the competition today, we started at 6'11'', so by the time I went for the field record I had already done a lot of jumps," Roberts said. "I have jumped that high in practice, and I am sure I will be able to do it in the Nationals." The Nationals Roberts is referring to is the Collegiate National Finals taking place at George Mason. At that tournament, Roberts will attempt to show the rest of the nation his capability as a jumper.