Running at The Penn Relay Carnival is more than just running at Franklin Field. It means competing with fellow athletes from across the country, in a race run since 1895, and in front of fans and loved ones.
At the largest and most historic relay event in the country, Penn track and field’s finest are preparing to perform on one of the biggest stages in American athletics: the Penn Relays. While student-athletes feel the pressure mounting under the bright lights of Franklin Field, their friends and families are on standby, whether they’re a few feet or a thousand miles away.
Senior thrower Angeludi Asaah
Angeludi Asaah and her younger sister, College senior Herinah Asaah, are facing their last Penn Relays as Quakers. Angeludi Asaah will be on the oval, Herinah Asaah in the stands. On top of seeing Angeludi Asaah’s athletic progression throughout her early years, Herinah Asaah has also witnessed her development from the day they first stepped onto campus as freshmen.
Angeludi Asaah was a Hawaii state champion in the shot put in high school, but she wasn’t recruited to Penn, only making it onto the team as a walk-on her freshman year. Since then, she has wasted no time becoming one of the best throwers in program history.
While Angeludi Asaah was racking up honors, her family was there to support her. Their father has made it to some of Angeludi Asaah’s meets in the United States, while their mother — who lives in Germany for her military career — has only been able to attend the FISU World University Games. Neither of their parents have ever been able to attend the Penn Relays in person, but Herinah Assah makes a point to support her sister at home.
When Angeludi Asaah first competed at the Penn Relays in 2024, her sister initially didn’t comprehend the magnitude of the event.
“I thought it was just a track thing at Penn. I didn’t think it was like ‘everyone is coming,’ I thought it was Penn’s own thing,” Herinah Asaah said. The scale of one of the largest track meets in the world threw her for a loop, especially since her sister would be competing at the auxiliary throws area, not the oval at Franklin Field.
Whenever Herinah Asaah comes to support her sister, she tries to stay “hidden,” only coming out of her hiding spot after her sister is done competing. It’s an unspoken rule between the sisters, but it was Herinah Asaah’s first time following it at the collegiate level.
“And I was just there, and I was just kind of in awe,” she said. “Obviously, she did really well in high school, she came into Penn, she was not recruited, and she built this community around her, and she was holding her own. Not to say that there was any doubt in anyone’s mind, but she was doing better than some of the people that were [recruited]. So that was really, really nice to see.”
As Angeludi Asaah prepares to close out her final season donning the Red and Blue, her sister is also finishing up her final year at Penn. The sweetness of competing on one of track and field’s biggest stages, combined with the bitter taste of a chapter closing behind them, makes this Penn Relays particularly memorable for the sisters.
“In terms of home meets that everyone who loves her can come and watch, it’s basically the last one,” Herinah Asaah said. “I’m excited to go and watch and just be able to celebrate her, no matter how she does.”
Senior jumper Kampton Kam
Kampton Kam has participated at the Penn Relays for three consecutive years.
Representing his home country of Singapore before he ever considered competing for the Quakers, Kam himself didn’t know about the event before he came to Penn. When the Quakers came calling, their coaches tried to attract Kam by bringing up the Penn Relays.
“I said, ‘What is that?’” he recalled.
Kam has since had ample opportunity to find out what the Penn Relays is, even earning his first Penn Relays title in the men’s high jump Championship of America last year. His family has never been able to see him compete at the event.
“If I tell them what it is, they kind of have an understanding, but they haven’t experienced it firsthand,” Kam said. “So it’s hard to say if they really grasp what the Penn Relays are about.”
Still, Kam’s parents support him however they can. They saw him don the Red and Blue in person for the first — and only — time when he won the Ivy League indoor high jump title in March. And while his parents have only watched Kam live once during his collegiate career, the senior relies on them as a “huge pillar of support” extending “beyond geography.” Despite whatever challenges occur in their lives, they make it a priority to be there for their son.
“My first year here wasn’t the best,” Kam said. “I kind of struggled with injuries and just getting acclimated to Penn as a whole, the college system here. Even through that, my parents were like, ‘Yep, we’re supporting you. Can you update us, share with us what’s going on?’ Yet, my mom, I did not know for two months, had been diagnosed with cancer.”
As Kam prepares to transition from the NCAA to playing professionally, his mother — now cancer-free — supports her son with even more enthusiasm from afar.
Even though his biological family isn’t physically present at stateside meets, Kam can rely on his chosen family of teammates and mentors to get through the competition. Kam first met 1980 College graduate and program alumnus Ron Wilson while icing an injury during his first Penn Relays in 2023. Since then, Wilson has been a personal mentor to Kam. The two meet regularly to discuss life on and off the oval. Wilson has made it a point to support Penn and Kam by going to every meet during the season.
“I think many alums want to be able to pay it forward, if at all possible, because we had great levels of support when we competed at Penn in both the classroom and on the track,” Wilson said. “It’s an opportunity for us to give back the way it was given to us.”
Junior distance runner Camille Jordan
Camille Jordan learned to run from her father, Larry Jordan. He was her first track coach; now, he is on the sideline cheering her on at Penn.
Jordan, who had a successful freshman year, was plagued by injury her sophomore year. Now in her third year, Jordan is back and competing, reaping the benefits of the hard work she has put in.
“Now to watch her, respond from that, missing that sophomore year and really just sort of refocus her energy towards track again. It’s wonderful to see her,” Larry Jordan said.
“I’m a track coach. I still continue to coach now,” he continued. “So it’s just pretty exciting to be able to see her continue doing the sport [as] someone who’s been doing the sport for so long … to continue to find rewards later in her career.”
Camille Jordan’s parents know what it means to compete at a high level. Both of them have competed at the Penn Relays. Her father, Larry Jordan, ran the 4x800-meter relay — Camille Jordan’s signature event. For all track and field athletes, the opportunity to make your mark at Franklin Field is one of the most revered experiences in the sport.
“You see a lot of their teams who sort of punch a little higher and compete at a higher level when they compete at the Penn Relays, because it is their home turf, and they know about the history of that storied Franklin Field, so it’s great to see them compete and to compete in Penn’s colors,” Larry Jordan added.
