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115th Penn Relays



Thu.-Sat., April 23-25, 2009

Franklin Field, Philadelphia PA



 COLUMBIA WINS TRI STATE GIRLS 4X100

PHILADELPHIA, April 25, 2009 – After taking in the historical parts of this famous city, visitors don’t usually leave in a somber mood.

That was not the case for Kayann Richards, who as a freshman at Columbia NJ last season, departed historic Franklin Field nearly inconsolable. She blamed herself for a failed baton exchange in the 4x100-meter relay that may have cost her team a championship.

Yesterday before a raucous crowd of 47,904, Richards wore a smile as wide as the eight-inch bronze team plaque she and her teammates were about to receive, and stood proudly as the perfect example of redemption.

Anchored by Richards, third-seeded Columbia won the Tri-State 4x100 title in 47.52 at the 115th Penn Relays and claimed its first girls’ title of any kind at this meet since it won back-to-back distance medley relay Championship of America titles in 1997 and ’98.

Top-seeded Paramus Catholic NJ placed second in 47.61 and Abington PA finished third in 47.99.

``I was really upset about that baton thing last year,’’ Richards said. ``I blamed only myself. But I knew I had to get it out of my head eventually or I would do it again the next time I was here. You don’t normally get second chances at a meet like this. I feel like I took care of business this time.’’

Ironically, Richards is the only member of last year’s 4x100 team to return to Penn. Freshman Whitney Jackson, junior Jasmine Carter and junior Kelsey Jackson (Whitney’s sister) handled the first three legs.

``Kayann actually was the strength of our team, because she helped us all bond as a family. I love her for that,’’ Carter said. ``I’m at a loss for words right now. It’s amazing, but I knew we could do it.’’

Not one Columbia girl lost ground on the field and all three baton passes, especially the last one from Kelsey Jackson to Richards, were smooth. It was that facet of the relay that enabled the girls to bring home the school’s first Penn title in 11 years, according to coach Lisa Morgan, a 1985 Columbia graduate who also competed at Penn.

``I just told them when you get the stick, go get it, go after it,’’ Morgan said. ``I knew we had the ability. I knew if we had the stickwork down, we could win.’’

Columbia needed to worry about more than just its baton exchanges.

The race served as an unofficial New Jersey state championship, with top-seeded Paramus Catholic, third-seeded Columbia, fourth-seeded and defending Tri-State champion Jackson and eighth-seeded Camden in the eight-team final. Jackson placed fifth in 48.67 and Camden was seventh in 49.12.

Paramus Catholic earned the top seed thanks to the Bergen County-record 47.74 it ran to place sixth in the Large School final on Friday. In the last head-to-head meeting between yesterday’s top two teams, Paramus Catholic defeated Columbia, 48.6 to 48.9, on April 11 at the Comet Relays in Hackensack.

Richards, once she got past the mental hurdle of the baton exchange, held off a frantic charge by Paramus Catholic anchor Myasia Jacobs to bring the victory home.

``I wasn’t thinking about last year once I got out there,’’ Richards said. ``I just wanted to show what I had and win it for my team.’’

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