With that, the 129th Penn Relay Carnival comes to an end

Thirty-nine hours of running up and down Franklin Field and navigating the tunnels beneath the bleachers has concluded. We closed out our time here with the last event of the day: the high school girls’ 4x400-meter Championship of America relay, where we saw Jamaica’s Hydel come out on top with a Penn Relays record time of 3:30.42.

It’s been an unforgettable experience up in media row keeping everyone updated on the biggest moments of the Penn Relays over the past three days. With over 100 updates and a corresponding picture attached to almost every track event, we’ve had a wonderful time covering the Penn Relays, even under the pouring rain today. The Daily Pennsylvanian Sports and Multimedia departments are officially signing off — see y’all next year!

Photo by Lydia Tong

Hydel sets Penn Relays record in third-straight high school girls’ 4x400m Championship of America relay win

Tough competition lined up for the high school girls’ 4x400-meter Championship of America relay final — the final event of the 2025 Penn Relays. Hydel of Jamaica had high hopes for a three-peat, entering the race as heavy favorites. The team holds the Penn Relays record time following its winning performance in 2022 and dared the competition to challenge its dominant reign.

Hydel started strong as expected. Bullis School tried to catch Hydel’s team, but Hydel pulled farther and farther away with each leg. It became clear that no other team stood a chance at the win, and Hydel went on to set a new Penn Relays record with a time of 3:30.42, breaking its own previous record by over two seconds.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Wilmington jumper Donte Dockery claims victory in college men’s triple jump championship

Donte Dockery of Wilmington leaped far beyond the competition in the college men’s triple jump championship, with a dominant winning jump of 15.04 meters delivered in his final attempt. Donovan Anderson of Rutgers attempted to meet this bar but fell short, finishing second with his final and longest jump coming in at 14.97m.

Clemson’s Ryan John — the only athlete on the podium who had qualified for the championship event in a previous year — took third place, improving from a fifth-place finish last year.

IMG Academy victory marks third-straight year American team wins high school girls’ 4x800m Championship of America relay

Attempting to tie the all-time record for wins in the high school girls’ 4x800-meter Championship of America relay, Edwin Allen of Jamaica displayed an impressive amount of stamina but fell short to Florida’s IMG Academy.

Edwin Allen held a comfortable lead in the first leg, and while IMG briefly overtook in the second leg, Edwin Allen found second gear and returned to first place by a large margin during the third leg. Ultimately, IMG’s Anyla Robinson and Aurora Bertelsen Del Solar created separation for their team, which pulled away in the third and fourth legs for a dominant win. Finishing with a time of 8:40.51, IMG notched the third-fastest mark of all time in the Penn Relays event.

Despite finishing second, Edwin Allen was dropped a position due to a time penalty.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Penn jumpers place third and fifth in college women’s triple jump championship

Throughout the afternoon, the college women’s triple jump championship took place despite the drizzly and stormy conditions.

Sophomore jumper Adannia Agbo of Penn got off to a fantastic start in the event. On her first jump, Agbo marked 12.52 meters to comfortably sit her in first place for the first three rounds. Within two years, Agbo has shown incredible strides in the triple jump, already having performances within the top 10 of program history performance and a career best of 12.83 meters, set at the 2025 Tiger Paw Invitational.

Also jumping for Penn today was senior jumper Tumi Onaleye. In 2024, she recorded the second- and third-best performances in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, respectively. Like Agbo, she also had a personal best this year: 12.88 meters at the Ivy League heptagonal indoor track and field championships.

Agbo and Onaleye both had strong leaps in the first round — initially putting them in first and third, respectively. After the initial three rounds, the duo advanced to the next stage of the triple jump championship. Because they both finished in the top nine, they received three more opportunities each to post the best jump possible, and they persevered as rain poured down on them.

In the following rounds, Rutgers jumper Faith Bethea’s one jump of 12.56 meters was enough to put her in second place above Agbo. In the fourth round, Clemson jumper Shantae Foreman’s 12.69m outing placed her atop the podium. Foreman kicked it into extra gear, going as far as 12.73 meters in the sixth and final round. Foreman ultimately claimed the championship after a third-place finish last year.

By the end, Agbo finished third and Onaleye finished fifth — two strong performances for the Red and Blue as the outdoor season continues.

Caleb Snowden, Sanaa Barnes win Olympic Development men’s and women’s high jump elite events

Due to the gloomy weather, both the mens’ and women’s Olympic Development high jump events were moved inside the Ott Center for Track and Field. The men’s event had a field of mainly of American jumpers. Caleb Snowden championed the event, jumping 2.20 meters in the fourth round. Earnest Sears cleared 2.20m as well, but placed second due to Snowden having fewer faults in the previous round.

The women’s event immediately followed. The competition included last year’s Penn Relays champion and 14-time national champion Vashti Cunningham. Cunningham was ultimately upset though by Sanaa Barnes and Charity Hufnagel — who finished first and second respectively. The two cleared 1.87m. Cunningham finished third, jumping 1.84m.

Photo by Kenny Chen

UMass Lowell’s James Kotowski wins his second college men’s javelin throw championship

UMass Lowell thrower James Kotowski won his second college men’s javelin throw championship with a 66.71-meter throw. Kotowski won the 2023 Penn Relays championship in this event with a 70.42 meter throw. He did not compete in 2024.

Junior thrower Atticus Soehren of Penn also competed in the college men’s javelin throw championship for the third time at Penn Relays. This is the first time he advanced to the championship round. Soehren placed third with a 64.14m throw.

Rutgers pole vaulter Chloe Timberg wins second straight college women’s pole vault championship

Rutgers pole vaulter Chloe Timberg won her second consecutive women’s pole vault championship at the Penn Relays with a 4.46-meter mark. Timberg holds the event record with a 4.60m attempt, which she hit last year.

Penn senior pole vaulters Meghan Hart and Kai Eisenhardt and sophomore pole vaulter Evangeline Thomson also competed in the women’s pole vault championship. Hart placed sixth, tied with Penn State pole vaulter Victoria Atkinson’s 4.11m, Eisenhardt placed tenth with 3.96m, and Thomson tied for 12th with George Mason pole vaulter Alina Florou-Dimitriadou’s 3.81m.

Photo by Uma Mukhopadhyay

Edwin Allen notches another win in high school girls’ 4x100m Championship of America relay

It was the moment everyone in Franklin Field had been waiting for: the high school girls’ 4x100-meter Championship of America relay.

The crowd roared with excitement as the announcer rattled off the names of the schools competing. Five out of the nine teams were from Jamaica: St. Mary, Hydel, Edwin Allen, Wolmer’s Girls, and Holmwood Tech. Jamaican schools have won this event for the past decade. Edwin Allen had a dynasty from 2014-2022, and Hydel emerged to win in the past two years.

Edwin Allen has reclaimed the throne with a time of 44.23, avenging their second-place finish last year.

Hydel and Edwin Allen were neck and neck for much of the relay on the outside lane. In lane five, Bullis School pushed for an upset win, especially during the second and third legs. But with two clean handoffs, destiny laid in the hands of Hydel and Edwin Allen’s anchors, Sashana Johnson and Alexxe Henry.

With every stride, Henry pulled ahead to win the race, bringing the title back to Edwin Allen.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Edwin Allen notches another win, this time in high school girls’ 4x100m Championship of America relay

It was the moment everyone in Franklin Field had been waiting for: the high school girls’ 4x100-meter Championship of America relay.

The crowd roared with excitement as the announcer rattled off the names of the schools competing. Five out of the nine teams were from Jamaica: St. Mary, Hydel, Edwin Allen, Wolmer’s Girls, and Holmwood Tech. Jamaican schools have won this event for the past decade. Edwin Allen had a dynasty from 2014-2022, and Hydel emerged to win in the past two years.

Edwin Allen has reclaimed the throne with a time of 44.23, avenging their second-place finish last year.

Hydel and Edwin Allen were neck and neck for much of the relay on the outside lane. In lane five, Bullis School pushed for an upset win, especially during the second and third legs. But with two clean handoffs, destiny laid in the hands of Hydel and Edwin Allen’s anchors, Sashana Johnson and Alexxe Henry.

With every stride, Henry pulled ahead to win the race, bringing the title back to Edwin Allen.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Jamaican native Rasheed Foster dives forward for college men’s 100m dash championship win

The college men’s 100-meter dash championship was a tough race, and it was tough to tell the victor from the stands. But when MICO University College sprinter Rasheed Foster of Jamaica’s name flashed across the screen, accompanied by his 10.46-second mark, a deafening cheer arose from the Jamaican faithful.

Johnson C. Smith sprinter Tyson Williams with 10.47 seconds and Coppin State sprinter Solomon Hammin finished close behind Foster.

At the 2024 Penn Relays, Houston sprinters Louie Hinchliffe and Shaun Maswanganyi placed first and second, respectively. No one in this year’s race competed in this event at the Relays last year.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Masters men’s 100m dash 80 and older event excites Franklin Field

Ashes were left on the field as 82-year-old Domenic Stellato took first place in the masters men’s 100-meter dash 80 and older.

One might have mistaken Stellato for Santa as he breezed past his competitors, with his long white beard to flying around. Stellato finished the race in 16.02 seconds, while Robert Koontz finished in second at 16.25 seconds.

The ages were wide-ranging in this race, as 97-year-old Edward Cox came in eighth place — and last place, with one competitor having not started the race — at 25.90 seconds.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Penn junior sprinter Moforehan Abinusawa misses first place by 0.02 seconds in college women’s 100m championship dash

Despite the rain flooding Franklin Field, Penn junior sprinter Moforehan “Fore” Abinusawa took to the track for the college women’s 100-meter championship dash. The event was a two-woman race: Abinusawa was just a hair behind TCU sprinter Iyana Gray, who clocked a final time of 11.42 seconds. Abinusawa finished in 11.44 seconds, coming in second in her first outing in the championship of this event.

Abinusawa sought to win on her home turf, but with Gray — who sought a three-peat — to her left, the odds were stacked against her. Gray set off in a blazing fury, barely keeping Abinusawa off her back to defend her title.

A force to be reckoned with for the Red and Blue, Abinusawa currently holds four Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal titles — the third-most in program history. She also made her international debut at the 2024 African Games as part of the 4x100m relay for Nigeria.

Penn junior sprinter Christiana Nwachuku also qualified for the event on day two but did not run in the final.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Cincinnati thrower Fred Moudani-Likibi inches out college men’s shot put championship win

While the Olympic Development athletes finished up their programming for the day, Cincinnati thrower Fred Moudani-Likibi was busy winning first place in the college men’s shot put championship.

Throwing 19.43 meters, Moudani-Likibi finished 0.19m ahead of runner-up Princeton thrower Joe Licata. Moudani-Likibi also beat Notre Dame thrower Michael Shoaf, last year’s champion in this event. Shoaf did not compete this year.

Sophomore thrower Kai Deines represented the Quakers in the championship and placed tenth with a 16.35m throw.

Texas A&M hurdler Ja’Qualon Scott edges out victory in college men’s 110m hurdles championship, Penn finishes fifth

A soaked track proved to be another added hurdle for the college men’s 110-meter hurdles championship — but one that Texas A&M hurdler Ja’Qualon Scott easily cleared. Starting out slow, Scott pushed ahead to barely sneak by Northeastern sprints/hurdles specialist Ethan Exilhomme in the final moments, winning with a time of 13.64 seconds. Exilhomme finished just 0.07 seconds behind.

In a field boasting some of the best Division I and Division III athletes in America, Scott was able to glide over the last two hurdles in pursuit of a Penn Relays watch.

Junior hurdler Shane Gardner of Penn also competed, placing fifth with a time of 14.22 seconds.

Photo by Ishika Narsingani

Clemson hurdler Oneka Wilson flattens the competition in college women’s 100m hurdles championship

Clemson long sprints/hurdles specialist Oneka Wilson destroyed the field as she won first place in the college women’s 100-meter hurdles championship.

Taking an early lead 50m in, she finished in 12.94 seconds — good for the seventh-fastest time in the NCAA this year. Texas A&M hurdler Jaiya Covington was close behind, finishing in exactly 13 seconds. Freshman sprints/hurdles specialist Chikaodinaka Akazi represented Penn, finishing in eighth place with a time of 13.88 seconds.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Bailey Lear wins Olympic Development women’s 400m elite race, beats record

Bailey Lear of the United States won the Olympic Development women’s 400-meter elite race with a time of 51.21 seconds, beating the Penn Relays record of 51.71 set in 2023. Leah Anderson of Jamaica finished second with a time of 52.29 seconds.

Anderson won this event last year with a time of 52.48 seconds and placed second in the 2023 Penn Relays with a 51.97-second time.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Will Sumner dusts competition to win Olympic Development men’s 600m elite race

In his Penn Relays professional debut, American Will Sumner took the crown in the Olympic Development men’s 600-meter race with a time of 1:17.36.

Sumner is young enough to be competing under a collegiate banner during the Penn Relays. But after one year with Georgia, Sumner turned professional. Earlier this year, he posted a time in this event of 1:14.04 — the tenth fastest all-time mark in the event. And while he did not break this time today, he blew by his competitors in the last 200m.

Jonathan Jones of Barbados and Tarees Rhoden of Jamaica, each finished around a second behind Sumner. Sean Dolan — a 2024 Villanova graduate — also made his Penn Relays professional debut in this event.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief livens the crowd in Olympic Development men’s triple jump elite victory

Jah-Nhai Perinchief of Bermuda showed up and showed out in the Olympic Development men’s triple jump elite event, turning towards the crowd for support before every leap in his path to victory. On his second attempt, the Tennessee alum cleared 16.86 meters to the sound of thunderous applause.

No competitors could keep up as his lead held strong. Kaiwan Culmer of the Bahamas came in a distant second, with his longest jump just under half a meter shorter than Perinchief’s.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Sammy Watson takes late lead to win Olympic Development women’s 600m Elite race

The women’s field for the Olympic Development 600-meter elite race included Ajeé Wilson — a two-time Olympian — and Camille Laus, who was part of the Belgian 4x400 team that made the Olympic final in 2024. They were joined by two-time Olympic Trials qualifier McKenna Keegan, 2018 indoor and outdoor 800m national champion champion Sammy Watson, Central Park Track Club’s Sarah Jane Underwood, and eight-time Vanderbilt program record holder Taiya Shelby.

Laus took an early lead, but coming into the first straightaway Shelby and Watson took the first two spots to lead the field. Watson, a Texas A&M alum, pulled away off the final curve to win the race comfortably in 1:28.30. A surge by Underwood placed her in second with a time of 1:28.86, and Laus rounded off the podium, clocking in with a time of 1:28.90.

Photo by Kenny Chen

North Carolina secures historic victory in college women's 4x800m Championship of America

In a race that came down to finish, it was the Tar Heels who came out on top.

Last year, the Washington Huskies overtook the Penn Relays record by 0.17 seconds, clocking a blazing 8:17.28. This year, the team hoped to repeat as Penn Relays champions, facing up against powerhouses such as Princeton, who was the 2024 Ivy League Indoor champion and raced a time of 8:39.99 in the 4x800-meter relay, and Clemson, who came in second at the Texas Relays in the 4x800m relay with a time of 8:20.42.

Penn was represented by senior distance runner Bronwyn Patterson, a three-time Ivy League indoor heptagonal champion in the 800m race and NCAA qualifier in 2023; senior distance runner Chloe Hassman, who holds the fourth-fastest outdoor 800m-race time in Penn history; freshman distance runner L’Mio Edwards, who competed the mile and 1000m races this indoor season; and freshman and Philadelphia native distance runner Quin Stovall, who placed fourth in the 800m race with a time of 2:09:07 at the 2025 Indoor Ivy Heptagonal Championships.

High Point University distance specialist Evie Wild took the early lead on the first lap, with Patterson hanging in near second place. By the final curve of the first leg, the field had strung out, and Clemson middle-distance specialist Brynne Sumner handed off first at 2:05.18, with Cornell and Penn following close behind.

Clemson middle-distance specialist Judy Kosgei widened the team’s lead on the first lap of the second leg, with a chase pack of four being narrowed down to Washington, Cornell, North Carolina, and Penn. On the second lap of the second leg, Washington and North Carolina broke out to get a little closer to Clemson, whose second runner clocked a 2:02.74 leg. Penn handed off fourth going into the third leg.

The chase pack of North Carolina and Washington closed in on Clemson, coming into the 2,000m mark on meet record pace, with Penn and Cornell also making up the chase pack.

Going into the final handoff, Clemson was followed tightly by North Carolina, with middle-distance runner Alyssa Hernandez giving chase down the straightaway. Washington followed, trying to hang onto third. Penn’s Edwards handed off fourth with a comfortable gap between to Cornell in fifth.

In the first surge of the final leg, Washington middle-distance specialist and 2024 Paris Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan closed the gap on the lead two racers, and the three powerhouses of Washington, Clemson, and North Carolina were in for a fierce competition in the last lap. Penn’s Stovall crossed into the bell lap in fourth.

Going into the final curve, it was an elbow-to-elbow battle among the top three, but North Carolina distance specialist Makayla Paige — the 2025 NCAA Indoor Champion in the 800m race — pulled away from the pack with a monster kick to seal the Tar Heels’ victory, clocking in with a final time of 8:20.24. This is North Carolina’s first ever win in this event. Clemson finished second in 8:21.39, and Washington rounded out the podium with a time of 8:22.10.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Texas A&M wins second straight college men’s 4x400m Championship of America relay, Penn finishes third

Texas A&M fought a tough battle in the college men’s 4x400-meter Championship of America to secure first place in the event for the second year in a row.

The team took an immediate lead over Penn in the first lap, while South Florida quietly made its way to the front of the pack and Penn drifted to the middle.

Texas A&M pulled into second place during the second lap and maintained its steady lead with with South Florida during the third leg. In the final lap, South Florida took over the lead, but Texas A&M wasn’t to be forgotten.

Texas A&M sprinter and anchor Auhmad Robinson clawed his way back to the top, allowing Texas A&M to secure first place with a 3:02.36 finish. South Florida followed in 3:02.69, and Penn — who was almost forgotten midway through the race — secured third place, finishing in 3:04.57.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Duke wins college women’s 4x400m Championship of America relay after handoff mistake by Texas A&M

In another dramatic race on the track, Duke takes home the victory in the college women’s 4x400-meter Championship of America relay with a time of 3:27.77 after placing third in the last year’s Penn Relays. The Blue Devils beat track and field powerhouse Texas A&M, who placed second for the second consecutive year.

Texas A&M led for the first leg and continued to lead throughout most of the second leg with TCU closely following. A sloppy handoff heading into the third leg by Texas A&M allowed Duke and TCU to overtake and battle for the lead in the third and final stretches. Texas A&M stayed in third as Duke widened the gap to win the race in dramatic fashion. TCU dropped the baton and ultimately did not finish the race, allowing Texas A&M to take the opportunity and come in second with a 3:29.12 finish.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Georgetown claims 12th title in 4x800m Championship of America relay, Penn finishes fifth

The college men’s 4x800-meter Championship of America relay title returned to Washington, D.C., as Georgetown clocked a time of 7:13.95 to take home its 12th title in this event.

If there was one word to describe Georgetown in this race, it would be consistent. Georgetown was off to a good start from the very first leg of the race, sitting in the top three throughout.

While Georgetown remained steady in its position, the leaders of the race consistently shifted. Penn State and Michigan each had a taste of first place, but Oregon later took over and held the lead for much of the second leg. Clemson then had a big push to briefly come into first heading into the third leg of the race. Meanwhile, Penn sat towards the back of the pack, holding sixth place heading into the third leg.

The Tigers began to fade in the third leg, while the Ducks soared high for the last leg of the race.

In the last 200 meters, Georgetown’s anchor and middle distance specialist Abel Teffra turned on the jets. Georgetown, Michigan, and Penn State were all vying to overtake Oregon — but in the end, Teffra pulled ahead to bring the title home.Penn’s group finished in fifth place with a time of 7:19.02. The team featured four distance specialists: junior Liam Going, senior Edwin Klanke, senior Kyle Miller, and junior Nicolas Pizarro. All but Pizarro were second-team All-Ivy recipients for this event in 2024.

Photo by Kenny Chen

TCU’s Irene Jepkemboi wins college women’s javelin throw championship on final throw

In a stunning comeback, thrower Irene Jepkemboi of TCU — who finished fourth in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2024 — won the college women’s javelin throw championship in her final attempt.

Clocking a distance of 56.46 meters, Jepkemboi stole a victory away from Princeton thrower Shea Greene, who had led the field until that moment.

Next up in the field events are the men’s and women’s Olympic Development high jump.

Shanieka Ricketts flies high in Olympic Development women’s triple jump elite

Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica — a silver medalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics — ended the Olympic Development women’s triple jump elite in one swoop. Turning towards the Jamaican-packed stands, Ricketts needed only her first attempt to earn a distance of 13.60 meters. She would beat out the competition with that score alone — but added on a 14.17m result with her sixth attempt for good measure.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Germany’s Robert Farken takes first place in Olympic Development men’s 800-meter elite race

Robert Farken of Germany took first place in the Olympic Development men’s 800-meter elite race, finishing in 1:45.45 after a tough battle with his competitors.

Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson took an early lead behind the pacer, which he maintained for the first 600 meters. With 200 meters to go, Farken and American Mehdi Yanouri pulled ahead, and second-place finisher Shane Cohen of the United States snuck up in the last 100 meters.

Anderson — who placed third in last year’s edition of this event — ultimately placed fourth this year, while Yanouri took third.

Up next is the college women’s 4x800m Championship of America relay.

Penn graduate Nia Akins wins Olympic Development women’s 800m elite race

2020 Nursing graduate and 2024 Paris Olympian Nia Akins made a triumphant return to Franklin Field in the Olympic Development women’s 800-meter elite race.

In the first 200 meters of the race, Akins led the pack behind pacer Kassidy Johnson, who stepped off, allowing Akins to move ahead. Akins built a sizable lead over the rest of the race, winning with a time of 2:00.49 — two seconds ahead of the rest of the pack.

Last summer, Akins finished tenth at the Paris Olympics in the 800m race. Most recently, she was victorious in the same event at the 2025 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Akins was last at Penn for the opening of the Ott Center, taking part in the ceremonial women’s mile race.

The next event is the Olympic Development men’s 800m elite race.

Photo by Kenny Chen

South Florida defends college men’s 4x100m Championship of America relay title

There’s fast — and then there’s South Florida.

To defend its college men’s 4x100-meter Championship of America relay title, South Florida knew it had to put out a time that could not be beat. And it did, finishing its relay in 39.00 seconds flat — nearly a full second ahead of second-place Pitt, who finished with a time of 39.76 seconds.

South Florida, seated in the fourth lane as the top seed, hunted down Pitt, who sat on the outside in lane nine. In the second leg, sprinter Jaleel Croal was the man to beat. He flew down the track to set his teammates up for success. South Florida blew by its competition — including perennial powerhouse Houston, who came in fifth — the rest of the way around the track.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Texas A&M wins college women’s 4x100m Championship of America relay, Penn finishes fourth

Finishing in 43.75 seconds, Texas A&M broke last year’s winning time in the college women’s 4x100-meter Championship of America — 43.92 seconds set by Ohio State — to take first place in this year’s event.

Texas A&M previously won this event in 2023 with a faster time of 43.63 seconds. Penn’s relay team was situated in the furthest outside lane and quickly lost the lead, though they made up for it as senior sprinter and anchor Fore Abinusawa moved the team up to finish in fourth place.

The college men’s 4x100m Championship of America race is up next.

Photo by Lydia Tong

New Zealander George Beamish wins nail-biting Olympic Development men’s Benjamin Franklin Mile Run Elite

New Zealand’s George Beamish won this year’s Olympic Development men’s Benjamin Franklin Mile Run Elite, which saw many familiar faces return to the track.

The field strung out early, with Eric Holt of the United States taking the lead in an evenly spaced pack, bringing in the first lap at 59.02. Holt maintained his lead throughout the second lap, crossing the 800-meter mark with Spanish Olympian Mario García Romo hot on his tail. Still, the pack remained relatively stable.

At around 1,000 meters, García Romo took over the lead. Going into the bell lap, Holt fell back, but the pack only got tighter going into the final curve.

The last straightaway became an all-out sprint, with five runners vying for the victory in the final 50 meters.

Beamish crossed the finish line after a spectacular 54.55-second bell lap, shocking the field and winning from the outside with a final time of 3:56.85. Former Princeton middle-distance runner and four-time Ivy League champion Sam Ellis also finished strong, placing second with a 3:56.88 time on this familiar track.

Wes Porter, Virginia’s former program record holder in the 1500m race, finished in third at 3:56.92. Ultimately, the top seven finishers clocked times within a second of each other, leading the race to a photo finish. Despite leading for much of the race, García Romo and Holt finished in fifth place and sixth place respectively.

This nail-biter started off a promising afternoon of Olympic Development middle-distance races. Still to come are the Olympic Development 800m and 600m races, as well as the college women’s 4x800 Championship of America race.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Pitt’s Norrah Lemongo wins college women’s shot put championship, Penn places fifth

Pitt’s Norrah Lemongo placed first with a 16.34-meter distance in the college women’s shot put championship.

At last year’s Penn Relays, Lemongo placed sixth with a 15.29m mark. During the 2025 outdoor season, Lemogo won the Virginia Challenge with a 16.38m mark. She currently holds the Pitt shot put record of 16.77 meters.

Penn junior thrower Angeludi Asaah showed major improvement in her second Penn Relays, finishing fifth with a 15.49m mark after finishing 13th in the 2024 Penn Relays with a 13.77m distance.

Josette Andrews reclaims Olympic Development women's 1500m elite title

After being absent from last year’s Olympic Development women’s 1500-meter elite race, Josette Andrews has reclaimed her title in the event. She previously won in 2023, where she set the Penn Relays record with a time of 4.04.88. Today, she smashed through her own record by a full three seconds with a final time of 4:01.76.

For much of the race, Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka applied the pressure. Tanaka had previously set a time of 3:59.95 in the event back in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tanaka and the rest of the field were playing catch-up with Andrews, though, who after the pacer left remained in steady control of first and created solid separation between herself and the next closest racer. Fellow American Dani Jones finished almost two seconds after Andrews, with a time of 4:03.21.

Up next is another Olympic Development event: the men’s Ben Franklin Mile Run Elite.

Photo by Uma Mukhopadhyay

Washington wins college men’s 4xmile Championship of America in huge upset

At last year’s Penn Relays, Villanova won the college men’s 4xMile Championship of America with a blazing time of 15:51.91 — good for the fastest finish in history — and this year, it came in looking to pull off the three-peat.

The Wildcats, favored to win once again, placed second with a 16:24.92 behind Washington, who clocked a 16:24.61 finish to pull off a huge upset. Washington distance specialist Nathan Green took the team from fourth place to first in the final lap, assisted by a heavy rain that took over the track.

The race started off with Villanova and Yale leading the pack at the two-mile mark. As fans moved under the cover of Franklin Field’s higher deck, North Carolina and Villanova stayed neck and neck during the third leg, powering through the rain until the final handoff. Villanova’s anchor from last year’s historic finish — distance specialist Liam Murphy —took an early lead, but Green was able to overtake both Murphy and North Carolina distance specialist Ethan Strand for a shocking first-place finish.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Athletes battle through pouring rain as races continue

As the Saturday afternoon slate of Penn Relays races continued, the sky opened up over Franklin Field. The men’s 4xMile Championship of America continued despite the rain, which is forecasted to clear up in the next few hours.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Providence records third-best time in Penn Relays history to win college women’s 4x1500m relay Championship of America

The college women’s 4x1500-meter relay Championship of America saw Providence break 17 minutes to record the third-best time in Penn Relays history. The Friars finished with a time of 16:59.65, just 5.78 seconds behind Arkansas’ record-setting time from the 2022 Penn Relays.

Washington distance specialist Mia Cochran and Georgetown middle distance specialist Charlotte Tomkinson took the lead after 800 meters, and both schools stayed ahead throughout the second leg. Providence ultimately pulled ahead in the end, finishing with an 11-second lead over Washington. Providence had previously won the college women’s 4x1500m relay Championship of America in 2023, and N.C. State took the crown in 2024.

Penn senior jumper Kampton Kam takes first place in college men’s high jump championship

In a story for the record books, Penn’s own junior jumper Kampton Kam — who recently jumped 2.25 meters to set Singapore’s new national record and place No. 1 on the NCAA Division I Outdoor high jump leaderboard — battled it out with Penn State’s jumper Isaac Osifo to win the college men’s high jump championship.

Kam seemed to be living in his revenge era, after coming in last place in the 2023 Penn Relays college men’s high jump championship. Justice was served as Kam ultimately took first place this year with a jump of 2.20m and fewer failed attempts than Osifo in the previous rounds. The Nittany Lion provided stiff competition for Kam, boasting a collegiate personal best of 2.15m and currently holding the No. 10 spot in Penn State’s men’s outdoor high jump record book.

Kam’s fellow Quakers senior jumper Conrad Moore and junior jumper Mark Hellwig also competed in the championship, landing in 11th and 12th place respectively. Hellwig placed eighth in last year’s championship.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Patrick Freeman of Appalachian State clinches college men’s pole vault championship

Patrick Freeman of Appalachian State took the college men’s pole vault championship title over Eli Gault-Crabb of Cornell.

Both Freeman and Gault-Crabb successfully vaulted past the 5.26-meter mark on their first attempt but were unable to get past the ensuing 5.36m mark. However, Freeman successfully vaulted past 5.11 meters in the third round with one fault, while Gault-Crabb did so with two, helping Freeman claim the overall victory.

Penn dominated last year’s pole vault championship, with Quakers finishing in both first and second place. Then-junior jumper James Rhoads took first with a 5.36m vault, while teammate and then-senior jumper Scott Toney took second with a 5.26m vault.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Virginia’s Celia Rifaterra wins college women’s high jump championship

Virginia’s Celia Rifaterra won the college women’s high jump championship against her own teammate, Carly Tarentino. With both jumpers tied at 1.75 meters, Rifaterra secured the win with a 1.80m jump on her third and final attempt.

In a three-way tie for third place was Hannah Riolo of Penn State, Jenovia Logan of Rutgers, and Malaika Cunningham of Villanova, all jumping 1.70 meters. Cunningham competed at last year’s Penn Relays and placed seventh, jumping 1.65 meters.

Tri-Tania Lowe of G.C. Foster wins college women’s long jump championship

With a distance of 6.30 meters, Tri Tania Lowe from G.C. Foster in Spanish Town, Jamaica, took home the title for the college women’s long jump championship. Following close behind was Rutgers’ sprinter/jumper Paige Floriea with a 6.14m jump for second and Princeton’s jumper Alexandra Kelly with a 6.11m jump for third.

Lowe is also a strong competitor in the women’s 100m dash, having broken Anguilla’s 26-year-old national record just last year.

Justin Sluijter of High Point edges out competition for win in college men’s long jump championship

Justin Sluijter of High Point peaked among the competition this year, jumping an impressive length of 7.58 meters to win first place in the college men’s long jump championship. Louis Gordon of Albany and Tye Hunt of Youngstown State came in second and third place, respectively.

High Point did not compete in the long jump championship at last year’s Penn Relays. In 2024, Sincere Robinson of Rutgers took first place after jumping 7.72 meters.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Princeton’s Casey Helm wins college men’s discus throw championship in dominant fashion

Casey Helm of Princeton destroyed this year’s field in the college men’s discus throw championship with a distance of 63.37 meters, over six meters farther than anyone else in the field. The mark is also slightly higher than his previous personal best of 61.67 meters.

Helm was the only competitor to break a distance of 60 meters, achieving his title-winning throw on his fourth attempt. Helm’s distance was also over three meters longer than last year’s winning throw: 60.04 meters on the sixth attempt by Virginia’s Jacob Lemmon.

Penn commit Sofia Swindell of Lawrenceville School blazes through high school girls’ 4x400m heats

New Jersey’s Lawrenceville School placed first in heat 538 of the high school girls’ 4x400-meter race with a 3:49.24 finish time — nearly 10 seconds faster than second-place Georgetown Visitation. Notably, Class of 2029 Quakers commit Sofia Swindell competed in the second leg, finishing with a 55.44-second split.

The fast time put her team in the top 17 finishes of the event but outside of the final championship round.

Sharing a glimpse of her future time with the Quakers, Swindell described Penn women’s track and field head coach Steve Dolan as “welcoming” in a previous interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Swindell also competed for the Lawrenceville School in the high school girls’ 4x100-meter heats yesterday, placing 23rd with a finishing time of 47.89. This was an improvement from Lawrenceville School’s 55th-place finish in the 2024 relays, which Swindell attributed to team-wide injuries.

“We had a few injuries, so we weren’t as strong. But now that we’re back injury-free, I feel like we’ll live up to our potential more,” Swindell told the DP earlier this year.

Later today, at 4:30 p.m., Swindell will compete one final time in the Penn Relays for the Lawrenceville School in the high school girls’ 4x100m Northeast race.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Reigning champion Hydel sets top speed in high school girls 4x400-meter heats with blazing finish

With a finishing time of 3:36.21, reigning champion Hydel leads the pack heading into the final 12 qualifying heats of the high school girls’ 4x400-meter race. Being the first team to finish below the 3:40 mark, Hydel ran less than two seconds slower than its championship-winning time last year.

St John’s College has the second-best time, coming in exactly five seconds behind with a 3:41.21 finish in heat 536, followed by Edwin Allen with a much closer third-best time, coming in at 3:41.30 in heat 534.

Miscellaneous heats will continue until 12:30 p.m., with the top nine teams qualifying for the Championship of America at 6 p.m.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Harvard’s Milina Wepiwe wins college women's discus throw championship, Penn finishes in third

With many championships on the schedule, Harvard secured the first title of the day.

Harvard thrower Milina Wepiwe finished first in the college women’s discus throw championship with a 59.75-meter throw. Cincinnati’s Amanda Ngandu-Ntumba had a close second-place finish at 59.54 meters, while Quakers junior thrower Angeludi Asaah finished third with a 55.39-meter throw.

Wepiwe’s winning result was scored in her second throw of the day. Ngandu-Ntumba started with a 44.59-meter throw but quickly improved with 53.10 meters and 59.54 meters in her second and third throws, respectively. Assah started with a failed throw before landing 50.37 meters and 55.39 meters on her second and third throws, respectively.

Asaah finished sixth in the field last year in the same event with a 49.75-meter distance, improving greatly in her junior year. The Quakers star will compete again in the college women’s shot put championship, an event in which she is seeded fourth.

Wise High School of Maryland first to break sub-3:55 minute mark, six total sub-4:00 times in first fifteen 4x400 heats

In the 12th high school girls’ 4x400-meter heat of the day, Wise High School of Maryland earned the first sub-3:55 finish with a time of 3:54.10. Janelle Morrisey started off the relay with a blazing 57.91 split, which was then topped by her second-leg teammate Elsie Akonjuen, who notched a ridiculous 55.51 finish time. Wise never relinquished the lead, finishing just under 10 seconds ahead of second-place Syosset High School of New York. This would turn out to be the top finish of the first 15 heats.

In the second heat of the day and first sub-4:00 heat, Sydney Pagon STEM of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, boasted a time of 3:58.87. Danae Hodges finished strong with a 56.77 split in the anchor leg.

Just two heats later, Henry Snyder High School of New Jersey finished with a 3:58.12. Radha Josiah took the lead with a 1:01.79 split, with Nia Hutchinson delivering a strong 56.77 finish in the anchor leg.

In the sixth heat, Ursuline School of New York delivered with a 3:59.63. Jana Hleaex ran a 54.50 split in the anchor leg.

In the 14th heat, Jackson-Reed High School of D.C. finished with a 3:57.08. Olivia Purce ran a strong second leg with a 56.20, while Arielle Westray concluded with a 1:01.38 split in the anchor leg.

To end out the list for the first 15 heats, Ramapo High School of New Jersey finished with a 3:55:64 after two false starts. Ramapo maintained the lead throughout the heat, with Bridget Cannon finishing a strong anchor leg with a 56.48 split.

Photo by Takeru Matsunaga

Penn athletes competing in field events today

The Red and Blue will be well-represented in field competition today. With NCAA leaders and program record holders, here are Penn's best heading into the championship rounds.

• First up is junior thrower Angeludi Asaah in the college women’s discus throw championship at 9:30 a.m. Asaah will also compete in the college women’s shot put championship at 12:30 p.m. Having a fantastic start to the outdoor track and field season, Asaah broke Penn’s program record in shot put twice in one meet, less than a month ago.
• For the men’s discus throw championship, sophomore thrower Kai Deines is set to take on the competition. Seeded low, Deines' most recent performance in the event saw him reach a distance of 49.47 meters. Deines will also compete later this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the college men’s shot put championship.
• Sophomore jumper Paris Ivery will take to the field in the college women’s long jump championship. This will be Ivery’s first time competing in the event, one month after her personal best triple jump at 12.50 meters.
• In one of the most anticipated events possible for Penn, junior high jumper Kampton Kam will be competing in the college men’s high jump championship. Just two weeks ago at the South Florida Invitational, Kam jumped an impressive 2.25 meters, setting a new Singaporean national record and tying for No. 1 on the NCAA Division I Outdoor leaderboard. Alongside Kam will be junior jumper Mark Hellwig and senior jumper Conrad Moore.
• Senior jumper Kai Eisenhardt, sophomore pole vaulter Evangeline Thomson, and senior jumper Meghan Hart will all be competing at 2:30 p.m. in the college women’s pole vault championship.
• The Quakers will compete in both the college men’s and women’s triple jump championships at 3:30 p.m. The women’s championship will feature sophomore jumper Adannia Agbo and senior jumper Tumi Onaleye, while freshman jumper Takunda Mhete will compete in the men’s championship.
• At the same time, junior thrower Atticus Soehren will be competing in the college men’s javelin throw championship.

Photo by Kenny Chen

Penn athletes competing in track events today

Historically, Penn has always found success on the last day of the Penn Relays Carnival. Here is a look at the athletes who will be competing in the track events today with the hopes of bringing home more championships for the Red and Blue.

• To kick off the running events today, senior sprinter Caia Gelli, junior sprinter Christiana Nwachuku, freshman sprinter Milan Ramey, and junior sprinter Fore Abinusawa will compete in the 4x100-meter championship of America relay at 1:50 p.m.
• In the college women’s 4x800-meter championship of America relay at 2:11 p.m., senior distance runner Bronwyn Patterson, senior sprinter/jumper Chloe Hassman, freshman distance runner L'Mio Edwards, and freshman distance runner Quin Stovall will be competing.
• Shortly after is the college men’s 4x800m championship of America relay at 2:20 p.m., where junior distance runner Liam Going, senior distance runner Edwin Klanke, senior distance runner Kyle Miller, and junior distance runner Nicolas Pizarro are hoping to add an 11th win for Penn.
• Rounding out these championships is the college men’s 4x400-meter relay at 2:39 p.m., featuring sophomore sprinter/hurdler Alex Sadikov, sophomore sprinter Nayyir Newash-Campbell, freshman distance runner Benjamin Markham, and sophomore sprinter Ryan Matulonis. Penn has the second most victories in this event with 10, trailing Villanova’s 12.
• Freshman sprinter/hurdler Chikaodinaka Akazi will take on the college women’s 100-meter hurdles championship at 3:30 p.m. Akazi broke the women's 100m hurdles school record, advancing to the finals with a time of 13.42.
• At 3:35 p.m, junior hurdler Shane Gardner will compete at the college men’s 110-meter hurdles championship. Gardner advanced to the finals by putting in a blazing time of 13.87 in the qualifying heats.
• In arguably the most exciting Penn track event of the day, junior sprinter Fore Abinusawa will close out the running events by competing again at the College women’s 100-meter dash championship at 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Lydia Tong

Garden City takes first win of the day in the high school girls’ 4x400-meter relay

The first heat of the day kicked off with eleven relay teams in a tightly-packed race. On the first leg, a 1:02:79 split from Taylor Maguire put Garden City in the lead, ahead of McDonough by nearly five seconds. With one lap to go, Garden City and Eastside traded the lead. But, Garden City's Kyra Lekanides pulled forward on the anchor leg to secure the victory, with a finishing time of 4:06.40, followed by McDonough in second place, with a finishing time of 4:21.42.

The high school girl’s 4x400m relay will continue until 11:19 a.m., with the top nine finishers competing in the championship of America later today.

Photo by Hope Applegate

Welcome back to the third and biggest day of the Penn Relays!

For at least the second year in a row, the third day of the Penn Relays kicks off with the 5000-meter racewalk events.

The winner of the high school girls' 5K racewalk was Savanagh O'Callaghan of Ireland, with a time of 25:51.09. This is O'Callaghan's second-straight year winning the event. To kick off the slate of iconic Olympic Development events, New York Athletic Club's Nick Christie took home first in the Olympic Development men's 5k racewalk elite race with a time of 20:53.94, well over a minute slower than last year's winner of the same event.

As we witness the finish of the racewalking events, the coveted high school girls' 4x400-meter relays will commence at 8:45 a.m.