Thursdays at the Penn Relays include many high-school and long-distance events, and this year's wasn't without notable finishes and records.
The high-school field events were particularly impressive, with Kimberly Williams of Vere Tech in Jamaica setting a Relays record in the triple jump. She marked 13.36 meters in her second attempt. The previous record had been 12.87m, set in 1998.
In the college shotput, Texas' Michelle Carter, whose father, Michael Carter, won the men's shotput at the Relays in 1981 and '84, made dad proud with a winning mark of 17.22m.
Thursday is also home to the steeplechase, an event with the unusual obstacle of a trough of water, which often draws the loudest crowd reaction. Bridget Franek of Penn State was the victor in the college women's race in 9:59.21, the second fastest time at ever at the Relays. Nicodemus Naimadu of Abilene Christian took first home in the men's event in 8:35.55.
Tennessee won the college women's Distance Medley Relay as Sarah Bowman fended off Villanova's Frances Koons in the last leg for a finish that was decided by less than a second.
Friday, April 27th
The Relays have been notorious for trudging on through the elements, whether they are tenacious winds, blistering heat or pouring rain. The officials drew the line at lightning on Friday, though, as thunderstorms gave the Relays its first delay since 1999, frustrating many athletes and the tightly-packed crowd.
Between the early-morning delays, however, some events managed to get off, including the college men's 400 hurdles. South Carolina's Jussi Heikkila, who hails from Finland, navigated the rain-soaked track and won the event in 51.06. Other runners were not so lucky, some slipping and falling between barriers.
By one in the afternoon, the clouds had cleared and the Relays recommenced. The college women's events were loaded with NCAA contenders, including Michigan, Tennessee and LSU. In the 4x1500m, the Michigan women came through with a win in 17:15.62. The Wolverines set a new college record, shaving about three seconds off Villanova's previous record, set in 1990.
South Carolina closed in on an early LSU lead in the college women's shuttle relay, taking the event in 53.54, the seventh best finish ever at the Relays.
The men's field events saw new champions, with Mitchell Pope of N.C. State taking the shotput with a 19.80m mark.
Some events, like the pole vault, had to be moved inside due to the rain and lightning.
A notable record was also set by a Broadneck, Md. high schooler in the mile. Matt Centrowitz, who won the boys' 3000m in the 2006 Relays, blew through a talented high-school field and broke a 35-year-old record in 4:08.38.
For an interesting collection of background stories in any event at Penn, one needs to look no further than the Men's Amputee 100m dash. Running on prosthetics didn't stop Marlon Shirley from finishing with a formidable 11.41.
Saturday, April 28
Saturday is the most heavily-attended day for a reason.
In the USA vs. the World events, the USA Red teams took home both the women's sprint medley relays and the men's 4x100.
But the crowd got a much better show during the high school events, particularly the high school boys' 4x100. Seven out of the eight teams in that field were Jamaican - and with a large Jamaican cheering section, the combination was deafening.
St. Jago of Jamaica blew away the record books by finishing in 39.96, the first high school to ever break forty seconds at the Relays.
Another event that drew a lot of attention was the College Women's 4x800, a stacked event that included the Penn team of senior Tina Morrison, juniors Jesse Carlin and Claire Kim, and freshman Anna Aagenes. The Quakers finished in 10th with an 8:44.68. Michigan took the event and broke a Relays record with an 8:18.78 - the group's second event record of the weekend.
"The competition was incredible," Carlin said. "Just to be out there running with them . We all ran some of our best times."
"I felt really strong going in, and I knew we had a great team behind us," said Morrison, whose 2007 Penn Relays will be her last. "It felt good. To be placed top ten in the nation is just incredible."
Another Ivy League team that stunned the field was the Columbia men's 4x800. The Lions' Erisson Hurtault passed the pack and took the lead at the third exchange, and the fourth leg was a battle to the finish as Columbia's Liam Boylan-Pett edged out Michigan's Andrew Ellerton to finish the race with a 7:22.64.
The relay was Columbia's first Penn victory since 1938, and the first Ivy League relay victory since 1974, when Penn won the shuttle hurdles.
Saturday's attendance of 46,363 put the Relays total at 109,525.
