The college men's track events at the 110th annual Penn Relays will be without a few defending champions from last year's competition. However, there is a strong field in this year's event with much on the line for some perennial powerhouse programs.
The University of Florida has high expectations entering competition, as the Gators are the favorites in many of the events. One of their marquee events is the men's 4x400-meter relay.
The relay team is a mix of freshmen and veterans. Rookies Reggie Witherspoon and Kerron Clement will be joining veterans Stefan Pastor and Rickey Harris.
Harris had been the anchor of the team that won at Franklin Field in 2001.
Texas Christian University was the 2003 champion in the 4x400-m relay.
Arkansas, Stanford, Georgetown and Villanova are all expected to make big strides in the field of competition this year.
Arkansas is bringing some strong runners in the distance and relay events.
Arkansas returns with Alistair Cragg, the South African athlete who won the NCAA indoor 3000-m and 5000-m runs this past month, and Chris Mulvaney, the Irish Razorback who was runner-up in the NCAA 1500-m run last summer.
"We've got Alistair Cragg back [and] Said Ahmed," Arkansas coach John McDonnell said. "We have Christopher Mulvaney. We have Mike Taylo. Sam Vazquez, the freshman from Florida, he's also pretty good. Four of those guys can run the 4xMile probably run the distance medleys.
"Stanford is tough in the distance medley, [so is] Villanova, Michigan. And Georgetown I think these are some great races."
Cragg and Mulvaney are expected to be joined by Mike Taylor and freshman Sam Vazquez in the 4xMile and by Terry Gatson and Ahmed in the distance medley relay.
Michigan is back but it will be hard to repeat the distance medley relay victories it scored at last year's Penn Relays and at this year's NCAA Indoor Championships. Nate Brannen of Canada and 2003 Philadelphia Sportswriters Association Outstanding Athlete Nick Willis of New Zealand are redshirting to prepare for the Olympics.
Arkansas set the collegiate record for the men's sprint medley back in 2000. There are high expectations for this year's team.
"I don't think we're any number of kids away [from winning] if we have Tyson Gay," McDonnell said. "He had a problem with his back, he's training now, and if he's on that team we can be awfully tough."
Michigan won last year's distance medley relay, but will probably not make much of a splash after losing some of its key components. Arkansas, the 2002 champions, are expected to have a strong showing, despite a relatively new grouping.
"Our season's kind of young; Mark Mulvaney, Sam Vasquez, Said Ahmed, James Hatch they'll probably run in the 800-m relay," McDonnell said. "We have two or three guys who can run pretty well."
Arkansas won the 2003 800-m relay with a time of 7:16.09. Georgetown and Stanford followed, with times of 7:20.07 and 7:19.39, respectively.
California coach Chris Huffins has some fond memories of his first year at Penn Relays.
"It was raining, it was cold ... I was standing out there on the runway, and Bill Cosby starts talking to me. He told me it's a big race today, it's a good day so far, but you know it won't count for records. That's one of the lasting impressions on me, there were so many people on the track and it was such a big deal."
Cal is returning to Penn Relays this year. It will join fellow Pac-10 schools Stanford and UCLA.
"I'm bringing my kids to Penn for a lot of reasons. But mainly I think it is important to feel our presence on the East Coast. To see how big a deal track really is. Even though not everyone gets to go, the kids that do go, that's all they talk about for the next three weeks."
Texas the 4x200-m race winner in 2003, will only enter one relay team this year, into the 4x100-m relay.
The Jamaican school, UTech, won the 4x200m this past winter, and looks to defend its title at the relays this year.It looks to be challenged by stiff competition from Florida,Mississippi State and Tennessee.
In the shuttle hurdles, Florida is the team to beat with the lineup of Clement, Harris, Dwight Ruff and Josh Walker. All have fared well in past NCAA competitions.
