2006 Penn Relays - Dyestat, The Internet Home of High School Track

	2006 Penn Relays April 27th - 29th, 2006 Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA

	Camperdown anchor Jermaine Dawkins finishes off his team's 40.13 4x100 victory. Open Photo

Saturday Highlights
Camperdown (JAM) starts Saturday's boys relay championships with meet record 40.13 4x1, leading the country's schools to a sweep of the top 6 places. ... Then the Jamaican school ends it with a 3:11.46 4x4 victory, with Simon Gratz PA as leading US team in 4th 3:14.55. After winning heat with No. 3 time 3:14.79, DeMatha DC is 6th in final Holmwood (JAM) gets fourth relay win, but first for boys this week with 7:43.35 4x800 win. Simon Gratz PA nips North Penn PA for 2nd in US#1 7:45.66 Josh Dominguez LA takes PV in 15-9 with surprise NH for Michael Morrison VA Devon Bond NJ wins HJ in 6-10.25 Jamaica sweeps the horizontal jumps, with Robert Peddlar taking TJ in 48-4 and Alain Bailey winning holding off Julian Reed in LJ, 24-5.75 to 24-3 Michael Zajac NJ takes only throw of the day, the discus, with 178-6

Danielle Tauro with her Penn Relays watch. Open Photo
Boys 4x100, 4x100 Camperdown's Hot Double Story By Steve Underwood Coming

Saturday Highlights

Camperdown (JAM) starts Saturday's boys relay championships with meet record 40.13 4x1, leading the country's schools to a sweep of the top 6 places.
... Then the Jamaican school ends it with a 3:11.46 4x4 victory, with Simon Gratz PA as leading US team in 4th 3:14.55. After winning heat with No. 3 time 3:14.79, DeMatha DC is 6th in final
Holmwood (JAM) gets fourth relay win, but first for boys this week with 7:43.35 4x800 win. Simon Gratz PA nips North Penn PA for 2nd in US#1 7:45.66
Josh Dominguez LA takes PV in 15-9 with surprise NH for Michael Morrison VA
Devon Bond NJ wins HJ in 6-10.25
Jamaica sweeps the horizontal jumps, with Robert Peddlar taking TJ in 48-4 and Alain Bailey winning holding off Julian Reed in LJ, 24-5.75 to 24-3
Michael Zajac NJ takes only throw of the day, the discus, with 178-6

Danielle Tauro with her Penn Relays watch. Open Photo

Boys 4x100, 4x100

Camperdown's Hot Double

Story By Steve Underwood Coming


Holmwood Tech's Stafford McFarlan raises the stick in triumph after fighting through pain in his 4x8 anchor for the Jamaican winners. Behind him, Simon Gratz PA battles past North Penn PA for 2nd. Open Photo
Boys 4x800m Jamaica vs. Philadelphia: Holmwood Tech over Simon Gratz’s US#1: 7:43.35 to 7:45.66 By Tim Fulton A year after the classic Shaker-Syosset (both NY) battle that wasn’t decided until the final straightaway, fans wondered what drama would come from 2006’s boys 4x800. Could Shaker win the race they couldn’t last year? Could Warwick Valley make it two straight for NY? Or would Jamaica reclaim the title they have won they every year from 1986 to 1996, but only twice since? Early on, North Penn PA, Holmwood Tech (JAM) , Shaker, and Simon Gratz PA were going head to head, with Warwick Valley within striking distance. Holmwood took charge on the 2nd leg and pushed the pace, while North Penn and Gratz tried to respond. On the 3rd leg, Holmwood’s Melvin Weller kicked hard to open up some daylight. But the story of the end of the third leg was Fordham Prep’s Dan Doherty, storming by a slew of runners to hand off in second place with a strong 1:53.3 split, despite strong winds swirling in the stadium. Though North Penn and Simon Gratz looked like should have been closing on Holmwood’s Stafford McFarlan after he started tying up on the backstretch, they weren’t gaining any ground. Over the final 75m, Gratz’s hometown favorite Khaliff Featherstone ran 1:55.3 to edge North Penn for 2nd and for state bragging rigts, a US#1 7:45.66 to 7:46.38. Another performance of note was Gratz’s lead off runner, Derrick Davis. Davis ran on the 4x400m relay team that qualified for the Championships of America with their 3:15.54, and then came back less than two hours later with a 1:57.5 leadoff leg. Shaker’s John Maloy was closing, and while he cut the distance down on the last leg, he couldn’t crack the top three as Shaker settled for 4th place. Fordham Prep managed to finish 5th in 7:51.57 after sneaking into the final in the 12th position. A newcomer to the relay, Zachary Bordonaro split under 2:00 a day after carrying 2:05 in the trials to make the biggest improvement. Warwick Valley finished 6th to give NY 4-5-6 a year after they went 1-2-3. Now back to Holmwood Tech … They had only won this race once before, back in 2002 when they ran 7:43.45, exactly one-tenth of a second slower than they ran this year. And do you know the last time the same school has won both the girls and boys 4x800? It was 1996 when St. Elizabeth pulled that trick. And while their time doesn’t crack the top-ten all time list here, it is the fastest time run at Penn since 2000.

Holmwood Tech's Stafford McFarlan raises the stick in triumph after fighting through pain in his 4x8 anchor for the Jamaican winners. Behind him, Simon Gratz PA battles past North Penn PA for 2nd. Open Photo

Boys 4x800m

Jamaica vs. Philadelphia:

Holmwood Tech over Simon Gratz’s US#1: 7:43.35 to 7:45.66

By Tim Fulton

A year after the classic Shaker-Syosset (both NY) battle that wasn’t decided until the final straightaway, fans wondered what drama would come from 2006’s boys 4x800. Could Shaker win the race they couldn’t last year? Could Warwick Valley make it two straight for NY? Or would Jamaica reclaim the title they have won they every year from 1986 to 1996, but only twice since?

Early on, North Penn PA, Holmwood Tech (JAM) , Shaker, and Simon Gratz PA were going head to head, with Warwick Valley within striking distance. Holmwood took charge on the 2nd leg and pushed the pace, while North Penn and Gratz tried to respond.

On the 3rd leg, Holmwood’s Melvin Weller kicked hard to open up some daylight. But the story of the end of the third leg was Fordham Prep’s Dan Doherty, storming by a slew of runners to hand off in second place with a strong 1:53.3 split, despite strong winds swirling in the stadium.

Though North Penn and Simon Gratz looked like should have been closing on Holmwood’s Stafford McFarlan after he started tying up on the backstretch, they weren’t gaining any ground. Over the final 75m, Gratz’s hometown favorite Khaliff Featherstone ran 1:55.3 to edge North Penn for 2nd and for state bragging rigts, a US#1 7:45.66 to 7:46.38.

Another performance of note was Gratz’s lead off runner, Derrick Davis. Davis ran on the 4x400m relay team that qualified for the Championships of America with their 3:15.54, and then came back less than two hours later with a 1:57.5 leadoff leg.

Shaker’s John Maloy was closing, and while he cut the distance down on the last leg, he couldn’t crack the top three as Shaker settled for 4th place. Fordham Prep managed to finish 5th in 7:51.57 after sneaking into the final in the 12th position. A newcomer to the relay, Zachary Bordonaro split under 2:00 a day after carrying 2:05 in the trials to make the biggest improvement. Warwick Valley finished 6th to give NY 4-5-6 a year after they went 1-2-3.

Now back to Holmwood Tech … They had only won this race once before, back in 2002 when they ran 7:43.45, exactly one-tenth of a second slower than they ran this year. And do you know the last time the same school has won both the girls and boys 4x800? It was 1996 when St. Elizabeth pulled that trick. And while their time doesn’t crack the top-ten all time list here, it is the fastest time run at Penn since 2000.

	Pole Vault Swirling winds can’t stop Dominguez Nearly a meet record despite the conditions By Tim Fulton There’s no question about it. The weather can be the equalizer in any sport. In football, if the field is sloppy, the faster team slows down. In cross country, if you’re the favorite and it’s snowing, you get worried a teammate will go down. When you’re the favorite you want good conditions. But Josh Dominguez wasn’t the favorite. Not to say that Dominguez (Ponchatoula, LA) wanted it to be chilly and breezy. He is from Louisiana after all. But when Michael Morrison is in the competition with his 17 foot credentials, you have to think that if it was a perfect day this story would have been written a little differently. Morrison has a personal best over a foot higher than the meet record of 16’00.5”. Morrison is from Great Bridge VA, the hometown of Lawrence Johnson, one of the greatest pole vaulters of all time and a past Penn Relays champion. There were story lines all around Morrison. But stories don’t always end the way you expect. After Dominguez cleared 15’09” and Jared Jodon (Laurel Highlands, PA) did not, some onlookers may have thought the competition was over. That’s because Morrison hadn’t come in yet. Morrison was attempting to open at 16’00.75”, which would have been a new meet record. After both athletes missed their first attempts, Morrison missed his second. After conferring with officials, however, he was awarded a “no jump” on his second attempt due to the officials putting the standards at the wrong depth. This is similar to what happened to Nike Indoor champ Scott Roth CA, who took advantage of that extra jump to win. Morrison then missed again, as did Dominguez. So Morrison was down to his last attempt. He stood on the runway, waiting for the wind to die down. It didn’t. He waited and waited until the official warned him he was running out of time. He gripped the pole, ran down the runway, took off, and down came the bar. Josh Dominguez was the champion. But Dominguez had one more attempt at a new meet record. He had a great attempt, sailed over the bar and grazed it. The bar jumped straight up in the air, came down on the short, college-length pegs, and bounced down to the pit. After the event, Dominguez talked about how “by the time you got to the end of the runway, you didn’t know if you were going to have a tailwind or headwind.” All of the vaulters struggled with their steps. But Dominguez stayed focused and didn’t think about Morrison looming in the shadows. Dominguez will now concentrate on his state championships and he will be at Nike Outdoor, where he said he wants to clear 17 feet. Today he proved he can overcome adverse conditions.

Pole Vault

Swirling winds can’t stop Dominguez

Nearly a meet record despite the conditions

By Tim Fulton

There’s no question about it. The weather can be the equalizer in any sport. In football, if the field is sloppy, the faster team slows down. In cross country, if you’re the favorite and it’s snowing, you get worried a teammate will go down. When you’re the favorite you want good conditions. But Josh Dominguez wasn’t the favorite.

Not to say that Dominguez (Ponchatoula, LA) wanted it to be chilly and breezy. He is from Louisiana after all. But when Michael Morrison is in the competition with his 17 foot credentials, you have to think that if it was a perfect day this story would have been written a little differently.

Morrison has a personal best over a foot higher than the meet record of 16’00.5”. Morrison is from Great Bridge VA, the hometown of Lawrence Johnson, one of the greatest pole vaulters of all time and a past Penn Relays champion. There were story lines all around Morrison. But stories don’t always end the way you expect.

After Dominguez cleared 15’09” and Jared Jodon (Laurel Highlands, PA) did not, some onlookers may have thought the competition was over. That’s because Morrison hadn’t come in yet. Morrison was attempting to open at 16’00.75”, which would have been a new meet record.

After both athletes missed their first attempts, Morrison missed his second. After conferring with officials, however, he was awarded a “no jump” on his second attempt due to the officials putting the standards at the wrong depth. This is similar to what happened to Nike Indoor champ Scott Roth CA, who took advantage of that extra jump to win.

Morrison then missed again, as did Dominguez. So Morrison was down to his last attempt. He stood on the runway, waiting for the wind to die down. It didn’t. He waited and waited until the official warned him he was running out of time. He gripped the pole, ran down the runway, took off, and down came the bar. Josh Dominguez was the champion.

But Dominguez had one more attempt at a new meet record. He had a great attempt, sailed over the bar and grazed it. The bar jumped straight up in the air, came down on the short, college-length pegs, and bounced down to the pit.

After the event, Dominguez talked about how “by the time you got to the end of the runway, you didn’t know if you were going to have a tailwind or headwind.” All of the vaulters struggled with their steps. But Dominguez stayed focused and didn’t think about Morrison looming in the shadows.

Dominguez will now concentrate on his state championships and he will be at Nike Outdoor, where he said he wants to clear 17 feet. Today he proved he can overcome adverse conditions.