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 | 114th Penn Relays
Thu.-Sat., April 24-26, 2008
Franklin Field, Philadelphia PA
DyeStat onsite with SteveU and The Track Junkie
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7*7*7 at The Penn Relays
SteveU's Triple Sevens Preview
7 Big Questions - 7 Athletes to Watch - 7 Reasons Why Penn is Special
7 Big Questions
1. Will there be magic in the girls 4x800 again?
The two most exciting things about the Penn Relays last year for US track fans were Eleanor Roosevelt’s Tasha Stanley mowing down Holmwood, Jamaica’s Bobby Gaye-Wilkins for the girls 4x800 championship, and Long Beach Poly’s Bryshon Nellum holding off St. Jago, Jamaica and Yohan Blake for the boys 4x400 championship. Nellum and Blake are both gone, but Stanley and Wilkins are both back. The road for the Maryland school will be tougher this year, however.
Marika Walker and the Jameson sisters are graduated, but Roosevelt still has Stanley and Dominique Lockhart back from the team that went 8:51.19 last year. They’ve run 8:59.37 indoors, but will have to shave at least 4-5 more seconds off to be in true contention. Wilkins is back anchoring Holmwood (best of 8:54.65 this year), but the favorite’s role probably falls to another Jamaican team, Manchester, who with anchor Natoya Goule has a best of 8:51.34. With PRs of 2:05.90 and 2:04.87, respectively, Goule and the improved Wilkins are going to be awfully tough for Stanley to mow down, even though she’s as gritty a finisher as there is. Roosevelt is going to need to have the lead after three legs for their best chance to win.
The above crews are hardly the only fast teams. Edwin Allen, Jamaica has run 9:03.55 this spring, while there’s Benjamin Cardozo NY (9:05.60 to win NSIC indoors) and Westfield VA (9:07.70 best) on the US side. And that’s just the sub-9:10 teams. A sub-9:20 team hasn’t been left out of the finals in recent years, but it could happen this time.
2. Who will fill the void left by Yohan Blake’s absence?
Until Wednesday, fans were looking forward to having St. Jago’s Yohan Blake back to see what he could do for an encore. Last year he led his team to the first sub-40 4x100 (39.96) at Penn and also ran a dynamite 4x400 anchor, even in losing to Bryshon Nellum and Long Beach Poly. But Blake did not make the trip to Philadelphia, with his coach saying he was tired and sore, and wanted to rest up for other meets at home.
So will there be any star sprinter to fill the void? It could be Blake’s teammate, Nickel Ashmeade, who was 2nd behind Blake at the Jamaican champs 100 (10.34) and won the 200 in 21.04. St. Jago, in fact, can hardly be counted out with their missing star; they still return three others from the 2007 champs and their 39.78 from Kingston is half a second up on the field. Calabar, 2nd in the Jamaican champs at 40.28, has Ramone McKenzie, who was 2nd to Ashmeade in Kingston at 21.05 and won the 400 at 46.62. Camperdown, Jamaica’s Rasheed Dwyer was part of the winning squad two years ago; now he’s that team’s veteran on a 40.59 squad.
3. Will newcomer Cleveland Heights make a big splash?
It’s always exciting when a new face – or new faces, as it were – become part of the relays. Sometimes it’s a school jetting across the country from California, other times it’s a team that isn’t far away but just hasn’t made the trip yet. Such is the case with Cleveland Heights OH; at least in recent years, they haven’t been in Philly.
With their group of long-sprinter/middle-distance types, though, they’re a natural here. With 1:50.98 senior Jared Hall leading the way, The Heights brings a veteran 4x800 crew in, with three of four back from a US#3 7:40.72 last year. Although they haven’t set down a big mark outdoors yet, they should be the favorite in that very deep event.
In the 4x400, it’s a similar group, with a mark of 3:14.06 from 2007 and a US#1 3:18.41 from indoors. They could well end up being the top American entry here, though some Jamaican teams look faster overall.
4. Who will win the matchup of indoor mile champs?
The Penn Relays boys mile may not have someone who’s quite at the level of 2007 champ Matt Centrowitz, but it has a good group of 4:10-4:13 types who should make things interesting. And it also has … in one corner, NSIC mile champ Charles White from Cherry Creek CO … and in the other corner, NIN mile champ Kyle Merber of Half Hollow Hills West NY. How often do you get a showdown like this of two national champs?
Of course, that’s only part of these guys’ resumes. Maybe the bigger factor is that Merber had White’s number twice during the indoor season. At Boston, Merber was 3rd in 4:12.42 to White’s 4th (4:13.33); at Millrose, Merber won in 4:13.86 to White’s 3rd (4:15.01). Merbs would go on to win NIN, of course. But White has to be more confident after nailing down NSIC in a US#3 4:11.77 and Arcadia in 4:13.60.
And these guys better not just focus on each other, or they might miss the likes of Vince McNally PA (4:08.99 mile last spring, 9:05 3200 recently), Cory Leslie OH, Robby Andrews NJ, or Doug Smith NJ.
But White vs. Merbs will be fun, in any case.
5. Who will win a crowded boys 4x800?
While Cleveland Heights has been noted as the favorite, they’re hardly the only team with a good shot at the title. The boys 4x800 (like the girls), in fact, should be the best and deepest relay in terms of top US teams mixed with quality Jamaican competition. Along with Cleveland Heights on the US side, you have NSIC champ North Penn PA (7:47.48), Chaminade NY (7:47.3), Kellenberg NY (7:47.8), and numerous other sub-8 teams. The Jamaicans will counter with Calabar (7:47.35), Holmwood Tech (7:48.27), Manchester (7:50.29), Kingston College (7:50.82), and Jamaica College, which with a lap to go was leading the race where Calabar had the big mark when its anchor was tripped up.
Like the girls 4x800, it will be tough to make the final.
6. What kind of drama will we see on the final leg of the Girls DMR?
This segment actually was originally titled “Can Jillian Smith catch Warwick Valley?” But that may not be fair to either party, or Saratoga Springs for that matter. Led by Lillian Greibesland and Tori Pennings, Warwick Valley has been the top DMR team in the country this year, running 11:49.59 at Eastern States and 11:44.44 at NSIC. Only Saratoga has also broken 11:50, and that was in January.
You have to figure the Hannah Davidson-led Togans will be dangerous, though. And what about Smith and Southern Regional? They were solid but well back at Eastern States with 11:58, and haven’t raced it seriously since. But as long as the memories of Danielle Tauro (who will likely be watching with her Michigan teammates) hang around, and Smith continues to run like the world-beater she was all indoor season, AND if her teammates can get her that stick a little closer … well, things could get real interesting on that anchor.
7. Who will be the boys field star?
Every year, it seems, someone who’s below the radar steps up big in the boys field events. One year it’s a 190-foot javelin thrower exploding to 213. The next, it’s a 15-6 pole vaulter improving to 16-3 or 16-6. Rarer, it seems, does this meet draw a lot of established standouts on the field event side (or if they come, they don’t do as well).
This year, fans should definitely venture outside the stadium to see the boys shot, especially if you’re still someone who hasn’t seen the Nick Vena – Mike Alleman rivalry in person yet. The New Jersey putters will probably set a record this year for most meetings of fellow 60-footers, as their schedules have had them facing off several times already in 2008. Vena’s 66-foot throws have garnished the most attention, and the Morristown thrower has set several freshman-class records in and out. But Alleman, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood senior with a 63-08.50 PR, is still capable of beating his young rival, as he did last week.
Otherwise, with good conditions forecast all week, maybe the most-established stars will stay at the top. They include 16-06.50 Brunswick ME vaulter David Slovenski, 219-04 Central Dauphin PA jav thrower Justin Shirk, and 24-11 long jumper and defending champ Tarik Batchelor of Kingston, Jamaica.
And if it takes the deepest competition to spur athletes to their best efforts, maybe the best marks will come from the high jump, where three 7-footers and two more at 6-10 will do battle. Westfield NJ’s Adam Bergo and Lakeland VA’s Chris Copeland both jumped 7-feet indoors, while Montez Blair just did it outdoors. Jamaicans Andrew Riley of Calabar and and Machal Baker of St. Jago both did 6-10 3/4 at the Jamaican Champs.
7 Athletes to Watch
1. Ryann Krais – Tune in first thing Thursday morning to see if the Methacton PA sr can outduel her Jamaican rivals in the 400H. Last year here, she did just that, with a comeback win over Shana-Gaye Tracey. Tracey is back and has run 58.16 this year to Krais’s 58.96 season-best. But Krais has a 57.20 from last year.
2. Chelsey Sveinsson – This winter/early spring’s distance revelation has been this Greenville TX freshman, who stunned with a 4:49.37 mile win at NIN (in the freshman-only event) and has followed up with 4:44.70 1600 and 2:08.36 800. A field that includes NON mile 1-2 finishers from 2007 – Ohioans Stephanie Morgan and Emily Infeld – will greet her. Morgan was the runner-up here last year.
3. Nick Vena – Yes, he’s already been mentioned, but it’s hard to put out a “athletes to watch” list without mentioning him. He merits as big a “wow” factor as any field-event athlete in the country when he’s on.
4. Karen Shump – Don’t forget the girls shot put, though, where you can see the NIN champ and Penncrest PA sr, who broke out with a tremendous 52-04 in Maryland. She has yet to hit 50 feet outdoors, so now would be a good time to start.
5. LaSalle PA DMR – One of the surprise end-of-season leaders during the indoor season was this group, which hit 10:15.89 at their state meet, but decided to eschew the national meets to prepare for Penn. Well, Penn is here and it’s time to put up. This has not a monster year for DMRs in the Eastern half of the country and there are no anchors like Craig Forys to make the imagination dizzy with possibility.
6. Solomon Haile – The Maryland standout soph, recently arrived from Ethiopia, ran a 9:17 3200 in his first meet indoors, then wowwed the crowd at NIN with a well-paced 14:53 5k victory. He's not seeded near the top of the 3k, but watch for a potential upset win for him against a field that's not quite at the standards of some Penn 3ks.
7. 4x4 girls anchors - Three of the country's finest 400 runners are likely to be anchoring girls 4x400 teams this weekend, but you may not see all of them near the front of the final, or even in the final at all. Chanelle Price, best known of course for her 800 talents, is also knocking at the door of sub-53 in the 400. She may be anchoring her Easton team, which probably won't make the final, but has an outside shot. Nadonnia Rodriques, US#1 indoors at 52.85, can probably get her Boys & Girls NY team in the final, but unless they're faster than mid-3:40s, they won't be near the front. Finally, California power Long Beach Poly, with the best chance of competing against the best Jamaican teams, has freshman sensation Akawkaw Ndipagbor, as well as junior Jasmine Joseph. Ndipagbor ran a US#1 53.43 at Arcadia, but Joseph, who missed that race with some muscle soreness after running the 4x100 there, has a 53.15 PR and could potentially anchor here, too.
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7 Things That Make Penn Special
(Last year I came up with "7 Things That Make Penn Special," which were a list of aspects
of this meet that made it different than any other. With a few edits, here it is again.)
1. The Tradition – Any time a meet’s been going on a gazillion years – ok, 114, to be
exact – you’ve got to have tradition. But tradition’s not just a function of age. It’s just
something you feel when you enter the stadium, that sense of history, that you are a part
of something that’s taken place for all of time, yet is still as exciting and vibrant as it’s
always been. The atmosphere is like nowhere else in track (even without the people,
which I’ll get to), the way the brick edifice encases the field (kind of an old-school
Camden Yards thing, if you’re a baseball fan).
I think this is the only track meet that when I’ve walked on the field, I feel like I’m in a
professional sports facility, like Yankee Stadium or something. It’s a special feeling.
2. The Program – I don’t mean the publication you can get about the meet which is like
nothing else in the sport (more on that later, too). I mean the way the meet is scheduled.
For all the events and all the kids (plus collegians and pros) that you’ve got to run
through, I think they’ve done a pretty darn good job of pacing the meet.
Of course, there’s nothing like watching 40+ heats of the 4x4 or 4x1 to set the standard
for relays. But what I’m talking about is the blending of these relays, the buildup to the
“Championship of America” races, the mixing of the prep, college, and elite events, and
the way the whole thing builds to a crescendo on Saturday – even with all the drama the
two days before.
They’ve done a good job of making you feel like the events really are “The Championship
of America,” and instituting the USA vs. The World relays some years ago was a good
move to bring the meet to a new level.
3. The Jamaicans – What other meet can you go to and feel the energy of an international
rivalry (even to the point of feeling outnumbered in one’s own country)? It’s Penn. The
Jamaican teams bring a special vibe here, but more than anything it’s the fans, especially
Saturday, that just create a wild atmosphere unlike anything in the sport. The roar of the
crowd as a Jamaican relay anchor brings it home for a dramatic victory is a unique
experience, that’s for sure.
While the fans from Jamaica don’t have as much to cheer about in the professional ranks,
they have dominated the prep relays, from 4x800 on down, over the years (especially
recently). One wonders if “we” can get as boisterous if an American high school can pull
the upset this year in one of these relays. Maybe we’ll find out.
4. The Prep Distance Trifectas – Within the energy of the whole meet, there’s something
separate and special about that time of the day Thursday and Friday when you’ve got the
prep mile, 3k, and DMR in short order. Twilight is beginning to fall at that time and you
sort of feeling like the whole day has been building to this. If you’re a distance fan,
there’s a sustained drama and excitement during this stretch that has its own special,
indescribable feeling.
Unfortunately (if you’re a Penn distance fan), some of the vibe of the Thursday night
distance carnival has diminished over the years as many of the elites have sought the
Stanford meets and other venues. But that’s for the collegians and the elites. The prep
distance events remain strong.
5. The Journey to the Throw Venues – You can go to the outskirts of the stadium and see
them. They don’t seem that far away. But getting to where they’re throwing the javelin
and discus is a true adventure. Us hardcore fans – even me in only my 2nd Penn – can
smugly say that you haven’t completely “done Penn” unless you’ve ventured out to the
throwing venues.
How do you get there? Oh, you just go out of the stadium, over to and across the bridge,
down the street and across, around that building over there, down the stairs, across the
railroad tracks, through the tunnel, through the woods, over that mountain pass – ok, I’m
going a bit too far, but you get the picture.
But you can’t just not go, otherwise you might miss a new record or US leader by Karen
Shump or Justin Shirk, or …
6. The Program (2) – NOW we’re talking about The “Penn Relays Program.” As Walt
Murphy says, “It’s the best in the sport.” As the kids on the DyeStat message board say,
“QFT” (quoted for truth) or just “troof.” It’s packed with all the history of more than
100 years of incredible track moments. It has EVERYTHING. You might be able to get
through some of it during some of those relays, if you really want to, but better to spend a
few hours with it after the meet to really enjoy. A true track nut keeper.
7. The Split Crew – Ok, this one’s kind of personal, because how many fans or
competitors will really get to experience this? But if you’re steveu, you go hang out with
the split crew at the meet, parked up about halfway and in the middle of the finish area.
These are many of the godfathers of the sport, taking the splits of the top relay races and
feeding the info to the announcers, and recording it for posterity. For someone like me,
who’s been reading track publications for 30 years, it’s a who’s who of the sport up
there. Here’s to my fellow track journalists!!
8. (Extra Credit) -- The "Whhoooo" Factor - All right, last year I was told I missed this, so
it has to be added in, even if it breaks up the Lucky 7s. This is really a "you have to be there"
type of thing, but I think it was Bill Cosby in one of his famous comedy routines from years back,
describing his experience here when he competed for Temple, decades ago, who quantified this.
It's the noise, the hooting and hollering, that the crowd makes, in an ever-growing volume, as a race
(particularly a relay) picks up in intensity (most often on the last lap). In less intense instances, it's
more like a "Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!" as things are picking up before the climax of a race. But in the
end, it's one, long, ever-increasing hoot that sometimes just turns into a full-blooded roar if the race
is extra special. Last year, for example, the Nellum anchor on the boys 4x400 turned from a "whooo" to
a roar, because it was just too much for a mere "whooo."
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