PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, April 23–25 — For three years, the past two as serious contenders, Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson and his Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland) teammates had chased championship glory in the Penn Relays High School Boys 4 x 400. They were 6th in ’23 when their star anchor was a frosh, then 3rd and 2nd in close finishes the past two Aprils — smashing the HSR in ’25 (3:06.31) behind Jamaica’s Kingston College four-peat performance (3:05.93).
This time, it wasn’t even close. Wilson’s teammates got him the stick in the lead Saturday — no comeback necessary — and in cold (mid-40s), rainy conditions his 45.58 anchor was more than fast enough to allow Bullis to gap Archbishop Carroll (Washington, DC) by 3 seconds, 3:10.15–3:13.15. That was the same order of finish the two U.S. schools had at New Balance Indoor Nationals and left Jamaica College and defending champ Kingston College 3rd and 4th.
The Bullis triumph was the first at Penn by a U.S. boys’ 4×4 squad since that of Long Beach Poly (California) in 2007. Carroll made it the first U.S. Penn 1-2 finish since ’04, which saw USA schools go 1-2-3.
“We said that the game plan today was to give me the baton in first,” Wilson said. “And if they do, I’m gonna carry the lead and win the race… I think we executed the race really well. Maybe not the conditions that we wanted with the weather (as far as chasing their own HSR), but that didn’t stop us.”
“We train in this; it’s almost like an advantage for us,” said Bullis Coach Joe Lee, who commended the work across the board by frosh Zayden Saxton, junior Cameron Homer and soph Mikey Swanson.
The nasty weather probably also prevented records or near-records in the other Saturday HS boys relays. Jamaica College (40.03) and Kingston College (40.10) did get a 1-2 in the 4 x 100, however, with St. James (Springfield, Virginia) 3rd in 40.38.
Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, New Jersey) and IMG (Bradenton, Florida) renewed their rivalry in the 4 x 800 after they both smashed the HSR indoors in UC’s New Balance Indoor victory. The Vikings won again here, 7:41.14–7:42.71, but the Penn standard was never threatened.
The previous two days, with better conditions, featured outstanding performances, especially in the distances. Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville, New Jersey) had the top individual mark of the meet, powering away in a great girls 3K battle with fellow New Jerseyan Leah Starkey, as the junior defended her title and the rivals clocked the best two times in Penn history, 9:04.92 and 9:08.13.
Bartlett upped the ante on the penultimate lap to 69.12, with Starkey holding on, but accelerated again on the final circuit (67.59) as her rival finally broke.
The girls’ mile was a record-setter, too, as ’25 runner-up Abigail Hennessy (Academy, Westford, Massachusetts) ran a strong negative split and crossed in 4:38.13, taking 0.06 off the ’19 mark by Victoria Starcher. She closed in 2:16.12 to pull away from Maysen Fletcher’s (Hoover, Elkview, West Virginia) 4:42.61.
Defending champ IMG was the overwhelming favorite in the girls’ 4 x 800. The squad led at the first exchange, then blew it wide open with Danielle Graham’s meet-best 2:06.58 second carry to an 8:40.92 final time (4 HS).
Speaking of the DMR, both boys and girls races saw meet records go down. For the boys, not only did first-time Penn wheel-winner Mifflin County (Lewistown, Pennsylvania) smash the Penn record by more than 3 seconds with its 9:54.01, but led three other Pennsylvania and one New Jersey school under 10:00. North Penn 9:56.49 and Christian Brothers (Lincroft, New Jersey) 9:56.57 recorded the Nos. 2 and 3 times ever for the meet.
Mifflin County anchor Carter Smith was the difference-maker for the champs. He came from behind in 4th and motored away with 300 to go for a 4:05.21 split — more than 3 seconds faster than any of the other key contenders.
Union Catholic’s girls defended their DMR title, injured Sophia Thompson, who anchored their HSR indoor effort, being unavailable. Paige Sheppard returned to anchor and the result, while not close to their best, was a still dominating 11:24.26 that clipped their MR.
Friday’s boys’ triple jump was the top field event, with Jamaica College’s Michael-Andre Edwards smashing O’Brien Wasome’s 10-year-old meet record with 53-5½ (16.29), just ahead of new indoor HSR-setter Miles Nesmith (Central, Memphis, Tennessee) at 53-1.
PENN RELAYS HS RESULTS
Mile: 1. Jon Nathan Lawrence (Covenant, Charlottesville, Va) 4:13.06.
3000: 1. Trent Daniels (Gainesville, Va) 8:18.82; 2. *Jonah Montagnese (Quaker Valley, Leetsdale) 8:19.62.
4 x 100: 1. Jamaica College (Jam) 40.03; 2. Kingston College (Jam) 40.10; 3. St. James, Springfield, Va 40.38.
4 x 400: 1. Bullis, Potomac, Md 3:10.15 (Wilson 45.58); 2. Carroll, Washington, DC 3:13.15.
Heats: XXXIII: 1. Bullis 3:09.73 (Wilson 44.56).
4×800: 1. Union Catholic, Scotch Plains, NJ 7:41.14; 2. IMG, Bradenton, Fl 7:42.71; 3. Hackensack, NJ 7:48.87
DisMed: 1. Mifflin, Lewistown 9:54.01 (10 HS) (Smith 4:05.21);
2. North Penn, Lansdale 9:56.49; 3. Christian Brothers, Lincroft, NJ 9:56.57; 4. Lower Merion, Ardmore 9:57.78.
HJ: 1. Ryan Buskey (Colonie Central, Albany, NY) 7-¼.
PV: 1. Luke Beattie (Warwick Valley, Warwick, NY) 16-3½.
LJ: 1. Carlin Archer’ (Bah) 24-6¼; 2. Frank Bediako (Bensalem) 24-3½.
TJ: 1. Michael-Andre Edwards’ (Jam) 53-5½; 2. Miles Nesmith (Central, Memphis) 53-1.
SP: 1. Luke Dark (Anderson, Clinton, Tn) 63-7¾; 2. Colin Sturges (Perkiomen Valley, Collegeville) 63-6¾.
DT: 1. Joseph Salmon’ (Jam) 208-6.
JT: 1. Addison James’ (Jam) 237-8; 2. Gable Gray (Chelmsford, Ma) 216-7.
Girls Events
Mile: 1. Abigail Hennessy (Academy, Westford, Ma) 4:38.13; 2. **Maysen Fletcher (Hoover, Elkview, WV) 4:42.61.
3000: 1. *Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville, NJ) 9:04.92 (9, x HS);
2. **Leah Starkey (Ocean, Oakhurst, New Jersey) 9:08.61; 3. **Julia Kelly (West, Downington, Pa) 9:27.76.
5000W: 1. Savanagh O’Callaghan’ (Ire) 25:48.90.
4 x 100: 1. Edwin Allen (Jam) 44.13; 2. St. Jago (Jam) 45.08; 3. Pennsauken, NJ 45.30;… dq—Bullis, Potomac, Maryland.
4 x 400: 1. Hydel (Jam) 3:32.85; 2. Allen 3:33.24; 3. Bullis 3:38.46.
4 x 800: 1. IMG, Bradenton, Fl 8:40.92 (4 HS) (Graham 2:06.58);
2. Penn, Philadelphia 8:49.73.
DisMed: 1. Union Catholic 11:24.26 (9 HS) (Sheppard 4:42.14);
2. Visitation, Washington, DC 11:43.47.
HJ: 1. Kate Voelker (Manhasset, NY) 5-10½; 2. Ella Michelitch (Minisink Valley, Slate Hill, NY) 5-10½; 3. Egypt Bolan (Lindenwold, NJ) 5-10½.
PV: 1. *Maddie Fuhrmeister (Central Bucks West, Doylestown, Pa) 13-4½.
LJ: 1. Brooklyn Lyttle’ (Seton, Bladensburg, Md) 19-9½.
TJ: 1. Zavien Bernard (Jam) 41-10½w (41-7); 2. Seannah Parsons (Randolph, NJ) 41-7¼.
SP: 1. Marla Kay Lampart’ (Jam) 47-3½; 2. *Isabella Furgison (Selinsgrove, Pa) 46-2½.
DT: 1. Hannah Nufler 177-0 (Delsea, Franklinville, NJ).
JT: 1. Ava Flicker (Perkiomen Valley, Collegeville, Pa) 162-5.
