Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 26–28—As usual, Jamaican teams dominated the prep schedule at the Penn Relays, sweeping the 4×1, 4×4 and 4×8 races, leaving only the distance medleys for U.S. schools.
In the boys DMR, Loudoun Valley (Purcelleville, Virginia) looked to have the race in the bag, but anchor leg Sam Affolder crumbled on the last lap, allowing Hopewell Valley (Pennington, New Jersey) and St. Anthony’s (South Huntington, New York) to sweep by and break 10:00, in 9:57.77 and 9:59.87.
Hopewell Valley’s anchor, Sean Dolan (the son of Penn head coach Steve Dolan) clocked 4:07.57 for his split, securing a nation-leading time and breaking the ’01 meet record set by an Alan Webb-anchored South Lakes (Reston, Virginia).
“With 250 to go I just started using my kick as hard as I could,” Dolan told NJ.com. “I started to break away from the guys that were with me and catch the guy out front. I saw him starting to tire out a little bit so I thought if I keep grinding I can get him in the home stretch. When I got him it was crazy and loud down the home stretch.”
In the girls race, New Yorker Kelsey Chmiel used a 4:49.22 anchor to move up six spots and give Saratoga Springs the win in 11:59.31.
Green Hope (Cary, North Carolina) came in behind a trio of Jamaican schools in the boys 4×8, but their 7:39.28 was a new yearly leader.
Other national leaders came in both the boys and girls 400H, from Emmanuel Waller (Glass, Lynchburg, Virginia) and Massai Russell (Bullis, Potomac, Maryland) in 51.36 and 58.49. Russell later ran a 55.3 leadoff in the 4×4, where Bullis (3:41.51) finished 3rd as the top U.S. team.
Jamaicans also dominated on the field, but Tzuriel Pedigo (Parkview, Baton Rouge) got off a monster javelin winner at 238-6, No. 5 all-time among preps, and No. 10 on the all-time U.S. Junior list.
On the girls side, there were list-leading victories in the shot, discus & javelin: Payden Montana (Berwick, Pennsylvania) at 50-7, Veronica Fraley (Wakefield, Raleigh) at 175-9 & Skylar Ciccolini (Mifflin, Lewistown, Pennsylvania) at 172-2.
The best of the Jamaican schools was Calabar on the boy’s side with 4×1 (39.51) and 4×4 (3:03.79) wins, the latter missing the Jamaican Junior Record by just 0.02, Christopher Taylor anchoring in a brilliant 44.84.
Brilliant soph Taylor Ewert (Beavercreek, Ohio) claimed American Junior and High School Records in the 5000 walk with her 22:38.16, crushing the old standard of 23:00.78 set by Anya-Maria Ruoss way back in ’94. En route, she also claimed the 3000 records with her 13:31.79 (old mark 13:41.25 Ruoss in ’94).
PENN HS BOYS RESULTS
Mile: 1. Kieran McDermott (Bel Air, Md) 4:09.63; 2. Cameron Ponder (Mt Tabor, Winston-Salem) 4:10.98; 3. Drew Maher (Shore, West Long Branch, NJ) 4:11.94.
3000: 1. *Devin Hart (Point Pleasant, NJ) 8:22.24; 2. *Connor Nisbet (Friends, Wilmington, De) 8:27.68; 3. William Hare (Princeton) 8:28.25; 4. Rusty Kujdych (Neshaminy, Langhorne, Pa) 8:28.46.
400H: 1. Rovane Williams’ (Jam) 51.22;
2. Emmanuel Waller (Glass, Lynchburg, Va) 51.36 (HSL);
3. Miles Green (St Joseph, Philadelphia) 52.30; 4. Akeem Lindo (East Orange, NJ) 53.04.
Relay Events
4 x 100: 1. Calabar, Kingston, Jamaica 39.51; 2. College, Kingston 40.13; 3. Jamaica, Kingston 40.47; 4. Papine, Kingston 40.86; 5. St. Jago, St. Catherine, Jamaica 40.88; 6. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md 41.36.
4 x 400: 1. Calabar 3:03.79 (WJL) (James-King 47.6, Danvers 45.5, Chambers 45.82, Taylor 44.84);
2. Petersfield, Westmoreland, Jam 3:09.50 (Watson 45.50); 3. Kingston 3:09.60 (Morris 45.14); 4. Jamaica 3:10.29; 5. Holmwood, Christiana, Jamaica 3:11.35; 6. Allen, Clarendon, Jamaica 3:13.37; 7. East Orange 3:14.54.
4 x 800: 1. Calabar 7:26.09 (Farquharson 1:50.61, Williams 1:50.70); 2. St. Elizabeth, Santa Cruz, Jamaica 7:27.54 (James 1:48.47); 3. Jamaica College 7:32.32;
4. Green Hope, Cary, NC 7:39.28 (HSL);
5. Wadsworth, Oh 7:44.01; 6. Lake Braddock, Burke, Va 7:46.38.
DisMed: 1. Hopewell Valley, Pennington, NJ 9:57.77 (HSL) (Dolan 4:07.57);
2. St. Anthony’s, South Huntington, NY 9:59.87 (Payamps 4:08.34); 3. Loudoun Valley, Purcellville, Va 10:04.49; 4. Northport, NY 10:10.02; 5. Hall, Hartford10:13.47.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Lushane Wilson’ (Jam) 7-1.
PV: 1. Payton Morris (East Pennsboro, Enola, Pa) 16-4¾; 2. Charles Dever (Rustin, West Chester, Pa) 16-¾.
LJ: 1. Wayne Pinnock’ (Jam) 25-10¼; 2. Alexander Thompson’ (Jam) 24-6¼; 3. *Frank Royal (St Christopher’s, Richmond, Va) 24-4¼.
TJ: 1. Owayne Owens’ (Jam) 50-¾; 2. Safin Willis’ (Jam) 49-8¼w; 3. Treyvon Ferguson (Milton Hershey, Hershey, Pa) 49-3½; 4. Khaliel Burnett (Delsea, Franklinville, NJ) 49-1¾.
SP: 1. Courtney Lawrence (Petersfield, Pa) 62-7.
DT: 1. Kia Chang’ (Jam) 212-6; 2. Rjoe Stona’ (Jam) 207-11; 3. Phillips Barnett (Jam) 203-1.
JT: 1. Tzuriel Pedigo (Parkview, Baton Rouge) 238-6 (72.72) (AJL, HSL) (10, x AJ; 5, x HS);
2. Marc Minichello (Wyoming, Exeter, Pa) 202-2; 3. Kobe Roberts (Mainland, Linwood, NJ) 199-10.
PENN HS GIRLS RESULTS
Mile: 1. **Marlee Starliper (Northern, Dillsburg) 4:47.51; 2. **Victoria Starcher (Ripley, WV) 4:51.15; 3. Savannah Shaw (Upper St Clair, Pittsburgh) 4:55.74.
3000: 1. Jacqueline Gaughan (Exeter, NH) 9:34.41; 2. Lydia Olivere (Padua, Willmington, De) 9:35.14; 3. Abigail Green (Johnson, Bethesda, Va) 9:35.83; 4. Katie Dammer (Abington Heights, Clarks Summit, Pa) 9:45.76; 5. **Nicole Vanasse (Pingry, Martinsville, NJ) 9:50.85.
400H: 1. Massai Russell (Bullis, Potomac) 58.49 (HSL);
2. *Adriana Shockley (Western Branch, Chesapeake, Va) 59.10; 3. Reanda Richards (West Essex, North Caldwell, NJ) 59.17; 4. Winsome Harris’ (Jam) 59.48.
5000W: 1. **Taylor Ewert (Beavercreek,Oh) 22:38.16 AJR, HSR (old records 23:00.78 Anya-Maria Ruoss [Fayetteville, Ar] ’94) (13:31.79 AJR, HSR—old records 13:41.25 Ruoss ’94).
Relay Events
4 x 100: 1. Edwin Allen, Jamaica 44.79; 2. Holmwood, Jamaica 45.05; 3. Hydel, Jamaica 45.38; 4. Western Branch, Chesapeake, Va 45.46; 5. St. Jago, Jamaica 46.07…9. Bullis, Potomac, Md 47.69 (46.10h).
4 x 400: 1. Hydel 3:36.38; 2. Holmwood 3:38.14; 3. Bullis 3:41.51; 4. Western Branch 3:41.85; 5. St. Elizabeth 3:44.11; 6. Franklin, Reistersown 3:44.42; 7. Allen 3:48.38.
4 x 800: 1. Holmwood 8:43.33; 2. Neumann-Goretti 8:57.09; 3. Shenendehowa, Clifton Park, NY 9:03.62; 4. Padua Academy, Wilmington, De 9:04.63; 5. Union Catholic, Scotch Plains, N.J 9:10.40.
DisMed: 1. Saratoga Springs, NY 11:59.31 (Chmiel 4:49.22); 2. Cardoza, Oakland Gardens, NY 12:01.08; 3. North Hunterdon, Annandale, NJ 12:01.17; 4. Niskayuna, NY 12:02.32; 5. Friends Central, Wynnewood, Pa 12:14.22.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Janique Burgher’ (Jam) 5-11½; 2. Lamara Distin’ (Jam) 5-8¾.
PV: 1. Atana Carroll (Averill Park, NY) 12-11½.
LJ: 1. Breana Gabrell (Athens, Pa) 20-4½; 2. Lanae-Tava Thomas (Rush-Henrietta, Henrietta, NY) 20-1¾w (19- ¼).
TJ: 1. Lotavia Brown’ (Jam) 43-2¼w (42-9); 2. Ackelia Smith’ (Jam) 42-11¾; 3. Keneva Headley’ (Jam) 41-7¾; 4. *Christina Warren (Perkiomen Valley, Collegeville, Pa) 41-½w (40-11) .
SP: 1. Payden Montana (Berwick, Pa) 50-7 (HSL);
2. Alexis Clark (Monroe, Fredericksburg, Va) 47-1½; 3. Shelby Bigsby (Montclair, NJ) 46-10¾.
DT: 1. Veronica Fraley (Wakefield, Raleigh) 175-9 (HSL);
2. Fiona Richards’ (Jam) 171-9; 3. Marie Forbes’ (Jam) 161-7; 4. Piper Klinger (Selinsgrove, Pa) 151-9.
JT: 1. *Skylar Ciccolini (Mifflin, Lewistown, Pa) 172-2 (HSL);
2. *Brielle Smith (Oakcrest (Mays Landing, NJ) 145-4.
