Penn track flirts with several individual titles at Penn Relays

At last year’s Penn Relays, Penn track and field picked up three individual victories, the first time since 1922 that the program had done so.

Of course, the team’s historic success was cause for immediate celebration. But there was a flip side to that success with which the team had to contend this year: the burden of increased expectations.

Ultimately, over the past weekend, the Quakers may not have been able to repeat their exorbitant individual successes of yesteryear, but they still stepped up their game at the largest annual track meet in the world.

“It’s the power of the Penn Relays,” coach Steve Dolan said.

Penn was unable to pick up any individual victories throughout the three-day event, but the team did come close on multiple occasions. And nobody came closer than sophomore multi-event athlete Noel Jancewicz.

It’s appropriate that Jancewicz led off the proceedings for Penn, being that she knows a thing or two about fast starts. Last year, in her first collegiate competition at the Relays, she took first overall in the heptathlon.

While she was not able to defend her title, she did perform well throughout the multi-day event, wrapping up on Thursday with a runner-up finish.

Jancewicz’s close encounter with victory was indicative of a common theme for the Red and Blue, especially in the field: strong performances coming up just short.

Junior Thomas Pitt had himself quite the weekend, finishing second overall in the long jump before going on to place seventh in the high jump. The high jump proved to be an especially fruitful event for the Quakers, as freshman phenom Mike Monroe notched an impressive fifth-place finish.

And Monroe is just getting started.

“I know I can do more and have more coming up in the future,” he said. “It just makes me more motivated.”

Going into the weekend, star thrower Sam Mattis was considered to possibly be Penn’s best shot at an individual title. The junior was only able to manage a fourth-place finish in the tough men’s shot put field, but he did register a season best in the process.

“Everyone has to remember that it’s the end of April — the most important stuff will come in June,” throwing coach Tony Tenisci said. “I’m just thrilled for him. ... He came definitely ready to compete.”

Mattis was not deterred, despite missing out on a title.

“I think this is one of the best meets in the world for discus, and I think that was pretty evident today,” he said. “I’ll be seeing these guys [his competitors] more in the future.”

Fellow junior thrower Kelsey Hay had a similarly strong performance, finishing fifth in the women’s javelin.

The Quakers lost one huge opportunity for an individual title by running junior Thomas Awad in the program’s 4xMile and distance medley relays. However, while they may not have seen as much success as Penn’s field athletes, the runners had some standout performances of their own.

In the men’s 4xMile, Awad’s near-4:00 leg propelled the Quakers to a very strong sixth-place finish.

Meanwhile, freshman Candace Taylor dominated the weekend of the women, competing in four different relay events. One of those relays was the 4x800-meter, in which the Quakers finished fifth and came agonizingly close to a school-record time.

Ultimately, the importance of the Penn Relays extends far beyond results.

“It was definitely a rush,” Monroe said with a laugh. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

However, with almost all of their top performers returning and another strong Relays under their belts, the Quakers could be primed for yet another round of historic victories at the 2016 Relays.

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