Recap of Day 3 at the Penn Relays

Watch more video of 2011 Penn Relays

 

Princeton wins College Men's 4xMile Championship of America
Results

Sounding like a broken record here, but the upsets just keep coming in the distance relays! Sheila Reid stated yesterday that it is best not to expect anything at Penn because it takes a truly special performance, and anything really can happen.  She was absolutely right.

Princeton used their strength and consistency to win the 4xmile, as their times were: Chris Bendtsen (4:08.8), Donn Cabral (4:03.1), Kyle Soloff (4:05.3), Mark Amirault (4:02.8).  They were able to hold off Arkansas, even barring Dorian Ulrey's 3:58.3 split on the third leg.  The move proved to be costly for the Razorbacks, as anchor Duncan Phillips (4:05.6) wasn't able to hold off Amirault of Princeton (4:02.8).

Donn Cabral on Princeton's second leg also put nearly 4.5 seconds on Arkansas.  The gap was just too much for Ulrey to make up, and the Tigers won 16:19.98 to 16:20.42.
 

LSU wins College Men's 4x100 Championship of America
Results

The LSU team of Keyth Talley, Horatio Williams, Tristan Walker and Gabriel Mvumvure dominated the field, winning by 1.23 seconds, nearly setting the 10 year-old Penn Relays record, and running the second fastest time in the NCAA this season.

Florida had Jeff Demps anchoring, but it made no difference, as they were too far back for Demps to make any sort of difference.  LSU improved their season's best time by one hundredth, and continues to lurk right behind Texas A&M (38.71 at Texas Relays) as the championship season approaches.  Should be an interesting National meet!
 

Texas A&M wins College Women's 4x200 Championship of America
Results

The Texas A&M women continue their recent sprinting dominance, as the team of LaKeidra Stewart, Ashley Collier, Jessica Beard and Dominique Duncan won by almost a second over 2nd place Clemson (1:29.96 to 1:30.93).

Their mark of 1:29.96 wasn't quite enough to break their 2010 meet record performance of 1:29.42, but it still spells good things for the Aggies going into the end of the season. Their 4x100 is currently tops in the country at 42.87, and their 4x400 is #1 at 3:27.33 (by over 4 seconds!). The A&M women proved their versatility here in a completely dominating display.
 

Jamaica just misses WR in USA vs. the World Women Sprint Medley
Results

Kenia Sinclair split a 1:57.06, in leading team Jamaica to an easy victory in the women's sprint medley over two American teams.  Jamaica's time of 3:34.64 was just off their World Record time of 3:34.56 two years ago at the Penn Relays.

Team USA Red utilized Phoebe Wright's 1:59.25 anchor leg to finish second, in a solid 3:37.81 time.  Interestingly enough, the race was close going into the final 800 leg, but Jamaica's 1:57 final leg put insurance distance on USA Red's 1:59 and USA Blue's 2:04 anchors. 
 

Duke wins College Women's 4x800 Championship of America
Results

Esther Vermeer (2:09.15), Devotia Moore (2:04.62), Cydney Ross (2:06.48) and Kate Van Buskirk (2:05.70) led Duke to the 4x800 title, over hard charging Georgetown and Tennessee teams in the final leg. 

The race became a three-team affair, as Van Buskirk's 2:05.70 anchor was just strong enough to hold off Renee Tomlin from Georgetown (2:04.77) and Chanelle Price from Tennessee (2:03.46).  BYU was actually right in the mix until the anchor leg, as NCAA Indoor Champion Lacey Bleazzard fell off pace at 2:07.23.

Of note : With another narrow defeat, Georgetown has been right there in all three distance relays (having won the DMR and just missed victory in the 4x1500).

America sweeps USA vs. the World Women 4x100
Results

America went 1-2 in the 4x100, with a thrilling victory over the Jamaican team!

Team USA Red, consisting of members Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, Marshevet Myers and Carmelita Jeter ran a Penn Relays record of 42.28, beating an 11-year old record!  

Tema USA Blue was just back at 42.64, as Gloria Asumnu, Miki Barber, Bianca Knight and Alex Anderson was good enough to hold onto second.

Team Jamaica finished third in 42.74, with members Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson, Aleen Bailey and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.


7:31 in High School Boys' 4x800 Championship of America
Results

Long Beach Poly just missed a Penn record, as members Chris Hall (1:53.98), Aaron Harris (1:53.99), Christian Penn (1:54.18) and Myles Andrews (1:49.54) blazed to an easy 7:31.69 win in the boys 4x800.

As impressive as Myles Andrews' 1:49.54 split was the fact that he did it alone. Receiving the baton ahead of the field, Andrews opened up the gap on 2nd place Abington (PA) and 3rd place Central Bucks West (PA).  

Of note : 4th place finishers Georgetown prep (MD) featured a 1:50.61 anchor by Russell Hornsby.


LSU over A&M in College Men's 4x200 Championship of America
Results

LSU took another sprint relay away from the 2011 Penn Relays, as the team of Riker Hylton, Horatio Williams, Tristan Walker and Gabriel Mvumvure ran 1:20.62, in a thrilling finish over 2nd place (and sprint rivals) Texas A&M at 1:20.72.

The two squads have created quite the sprint rivalry (particularly with coach Pat Henry coming from LSU four years ago).  The winning time by the Tigers was still a second back from the legendary TCU team of 2000, where members Lindel Frater, Ricardo Williams, Darvis Patton and Kim Collins ran an unreal 1:19.67.




Jamaica takes USA vs. the World Men 4x100
Results

Jamaica features a star-studded team (even without Usain Bolt) that included Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter, Steve Mullings.  Their winning time of 38.33 was just .1 ahead of the USA Red team of Walter Dix, Wallace Spearmon, Trell Krimmons, Mike Rodgers.



Team USA Blue featured controversial runner Justin Gatlin, as well as Darvis Patton, Shawn Crawford and Ivory Williams.  They finished up at 38.66.

Although the winning time was (relatively) modest by Jamaican and American standards, one has to think that 38 would have been broken with Bolt on the Jamaican team or Tyson Gay on the USA Red Team.