The track world had its eyes on the Ott Center for Track and Field last weekend.
The Penn Classic fell on an off weekend for many Quaker track and field athletes preparing for next weekend’s away meets at Clemson and Boston University. However, the few Quakers competing this weekend decided to put on a show for visiting schools and spectators alike.
Penn’s distance running team contributed the most participants and the most entertainment, breaking three program records over two days. Additionally, a professional team sent by Atlanta Track Club brought a surprise to the penultimate event of the first day, breaking the indoor world record for the men’s 4x800-meter relay.
Here are some of the weekend’s highlights.
“A really proud moment”
Among the scattered Quakers, freshman pole vaulter Thomas Bucks put up a notable performance, clearing 5.10 meters for a new personal best.
As the meet continued with sprints and relays later in the afternoon, both the men’s and women’s distance teams put on a show for Ott Center spectators.
First, the women’s 4x800-meter relay team, made up of sophomore distance runners L’Mio Edwards and Quin Stovall and freshmen distance runners Alexa Matora and Margaret McCabe, showed a superb performance. They finished in 8:43.38, breaking the program record in a conference-leading performance.
“It was a really proud moment, knowing that all the hard work we have been putting in all season paid off,” Edwards said. “[I feel] that fulfillment of finally getting to that record, and knowing that every single person did their part and we executed it just as well as we had planned.”
The men’s 4x800-meter relay followed immediately, and Penn’s squad, which included distance runners freshman Joseph “Tiago” Socarras, sophomore Benjamin Markham, senior Nicolas Pizarro, and junior sprinter Nicholas DeVita, likely felt inspired by the women’s performance before them. They finished in second place with a program-best 7:22.43, achieving the fastest time in the Ivy League this season.
This new record, however, was overshadowed by an even greater achievement in the rarely contested event. A team of four professional athletes from the Atlanta Track Club competed in the relay. Their anchor, Sean Dolan, son of Penn’s Track and Field Director Steve Dolan, clocked 7:10.29 to the cheers of the Ott Center crowd, shaving a second off the former world record.
“[Sean Dolan] is definitely familiar with the Ott Center, so it’s fun to see him and his team come here and break that record,” coach Dolan commented on his son’s team’s performance.
Following up on that historic performance, the Quakers won in the women’s 4,000-meter distance medley relay with a time that currently ranks No. 38 in the NCAA to round out the evening.
“Not a heated rivalry”
Saturday’s events were held exclusively on the track, with distances from 200 to 3,000 meters being run. The afternoon was rife with personal bests for the Quakers.
Once again, Penn’s standout results came later in the day. In the 800-meter invitational, Socarras beat out a number of professionals, including Sean Dolan, who couldn’t counter Socarras’ final push for the win. The freshman’s time of 1:46.99 currently ranks No. 15 in the NCAA and was the second program record he broke or helped break in just as many days.
“I can’t really talk a lot about it, because, again, he is my coach’s son,” Socarras joked about beating Sean Dolan. “It was definitely not a heated rivalry, but definitely a funny battle going on in the team. … I got really excited when I passed with a 100 [meters] to go.”
In the women’s 4x400-meter relay, a time of 3:36.90 handed the team of freshmen sprinters Rianna Floyd, Sofia Swindell, Jailyn Milord, and Giuliana Ligor the win. Their time ranks No. 45 in the NCAA.
Next weekend, the Red and Blue split up and head to two different meets: the sprints and field squads will represent Penn at Clemson’s Tiger Paw Invitational, while distance runners travel to Boston University for the legendary David Hemery Valentine Invitational.
