Penn Relay Preview (Women)

(Long Beach Poly on the right National Record 4x100 44.50)

(Vere Tech on the left Penn Relay Record 44.32)

Sprints

The High School girls unfortunately miss out on the Saturday action by having to compete on Friday. However their performances do not go unnoticed. In the Girls Championship 4x100 relay Jamaica has dominated over the past thirty years. Vere Technical of Jamaica has one this event a record 15 times, no other high school has won more than 4. Long Beach Poly has been America's best representative at this meet and hold the high school national record at 44.50. Edwin Allen is the early favorite with a season's best of 45.00. Edwin Allen has one this event two times, '07 and '08.

The College Women's race has recently been dominated by Texas A&M. Pat Henry brought his relay winning formula from LSU. Dennis Shaver took over at LSU after Henry and the Lady Tigers have not fallen. In fact under Shaver's direction in 2008 LSU set the Penn Relays record in the 4x100 relay with a time of 42.59. They currently lead the NCAA this season with a time of 42.99. Texas A&M is not far behind however with a season's best of 43.21.

LSU posted a rather impressive 4x200 relay time at the Texas Relays clocking in at 1:30.01. However that same quartet is not listed to compete this year. Texas A&M has the 2nd fastest time coming in and will likely claim the title if LSU's b-squad is not up to task. Keep and eye out for the speedy ACC Champions Clemson, they should provide a strong performance.

The High School Girls 4x400 relay is where America has some decent success. However Vere Tech still has won the event 10 times and Holmwood Technical, also of Jamaica holds the meet record a t 3:34.75 set in 2001. Vere Tech is the early favorite currently listed as the only team under 3:40. Just like the 4x100 relay Long Beach Poly has generally been the best American representative and also has the national record with a time of 3:35.49. This year Poly has yet to assemble their best team and must pull the big upset. Other strong American teams include Wakefield from North Carolina and Garden City of New Jersey.

The race amongst colleges does not have the top team competing at the meet. Texas is currently the only women's program in the NCAA running sub 3:30. However Texas A&M and LSU field two very strong teams. LSU is currently ranked 2nd with a season best of 3:30.42.


The Shuttle Hurdle Relay is another event were LSU has dominated. The Lady Tigers have won the event a record 8 times. Most recently Texas A&M has been able to put a couple of strong teams together and have won it the last two years. LSU enters a strong team with sophomore sensation Jasmine Stowers but Clemson has the best hurdling group in the country led by Brianna Rollins and Bridgette Owens.



Distance

Tennessee has won the women's 4x800 relay seven times and currently has the two best times every ran at Penn Relays. This season they are anchored by senior Chanelle Price. Price has not lived up to expectations over her career but has been consistently good all four years. The Oregon Ducks bring a strong group of 800 runners and may have the best squad of the weekend and are also favorites to win the 4x1,500 over Boston College. Villanova, the all time leader in wins in this event enters a solid group that should contend and possibly earn the Wildcats their 10th victory. 

In the Distance Medley relay Villanova again brings a great quartet to compete against Georgetown and Tennessee. Georgetown ran away with the title this past indoor season and will use that same line up. The Oregon Ducks as usual will be a threat to win the event.

As I stated early Oregon boasts the strong group of milers in the NCAA. Boston College will rely on the King sisters Jillian and Caroline to challenge Oregon. Oregon has four athletes that have run under 4:17 and will have a strong veteran superstar in Jordan Hasay to anchor them and likely win another title for Oregon. Villanova is also a team for title consideration. 

PENN RELAYS PREVIEW (MEN)

It is the end of April and my favorite weekend of the year. It is Penn Relay time!!!!

The Penn Relays always brings a certain level of excitement and anticipation for many track and field fans. This year that is especially true with it being an Olympic year. Although the professional athletes take majority of the television time I would like to preview the colleges and high school championship of America races. (Relay events only)


Sprints

The sprint events are always a crowd pleaser. Whether it is a dropped baton, amazing relay leg, sensational anchor or amazing time many simply are fascinated with the challenge the sprint relays bring.

The collegiate men's 4x100 relay is especially interesting this year. Auburn stunned the world on March 31 at the Texas Relays with a time of 38.30. That is one of the fastest opening collegiate times ever. The Tigers will look to eclipse the Penn Relays record of 38.68 set by TCU. The closest team to the Auburn University time wise is the University of Florida which has a season best of 38.67. Unfortunately the Gators will not be competing at the Penn Relays so the main challenge will go to Texas A&M and Florida State.

The School boys 4x100 relay does not have a great recent history for the United States. With the lack of a strong southern presence the United States has to rely on schools from California, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio to produce top schools for the event. Last season showed how much progress is needed in this event for the United States. Only one team from the United States qualified and they finished last. This year there is potential that no American team will qualify. Long Beach Poly has been the best high school program for America and may be the sole representative come Saturday. For Jamaica, Kingston College leads the way with a time of 40.17 and talented champion Delano Williams will look to lead Munro College to the title.


The 4x200 relay is an odd relay and not ran very much at the top level. However when it is ran it is certainly a sensational event. Texas A&M currently leads the NCAA ranks with a best of 1:21.21 and will look to defend their title. Auburn is also listed in this event with the same 4x100 relay quartet and LSU has a strong squad as well.

In the grand finale the 4x400 relay only one team in the NCAA has stood out all year with a early time and that would be USC. Not South Carolina but Southern California. USC again will not compete at this years Penn Relays. Missisippi State currently ranks 2nd ahead of LSU and Texas A&M. Those three have times with in hundreths of a seconds of each other. Miss St in 3:03.12, LSU 3:03.20 and Texas A&M in 3:03.16. This should be a real barn barner and a great way to end a always phenomenal meet.

The High School Boys race should be interesting as well. The Boys and Girls of New York lit up the track all indoor season long and have yet to run a strong contingent outdoors. It will take at least a 3:11 performance to claim the title. Jamaica brings a strong core of teams including defending champions Munro College and Jamaica Champs winner Calabar which ran a 3:10.19. Hopefeully and eventually an American program in one of the warmer states that compete at the Penn Relays will finally develop a program that can be a consistent threat and win some of the relay events, but for now the Jamaicans will continue to dominate. 

The Shuttle Hurdle Relays is one of my favorite events. Like the 4x200 relay is not ran often and even less so at the College level. Clemson brings a strong quartet of hurdles that include three sub 14 second hurdlers and they are fresh of their strong performance at the Florida Relays. Clemson is really trying to the claim the title of Hurdle University under coach Lawrence Johnson. 



 Distance
 
The Distance events are great to see as well. Traditional distance powers Oregon, Michigan, Villianova, Indiana and Oklahoma will look to bring home titles in respective distance events. However growing power Texas A&M is having a record breaking season in their distance events and will look to represent their university proudly at relays.

The Penn State and Texas A&M bring two very strong 4x800 relay teams. Texas A&M can be considered the early favorite after claiming the title at the Texas Relays with a time of 7:15.99 breaking a meet record that stood for 25 years. Penn State is led by senior star Casimir Loxsom who has a personal best of 1:45.28.

The 4x800 High School race is Boys and Girls race to lose. With a solid 7:41 performance indoors a sub 7:40 performance is all but imminent. Expect for this program to be mentioned a lot this weekend. 

In the 4xmile Texas A&M had another strong showing at the Texas Relays (4x1,500) and will look to capitalize on that performance. However their conference mate, for the last time, Oklahoma brings three sub 4 minute milers to the table and will look to not only claim the 4xmile but the Distance Medley Relay as well.

 

Texas Relays Review and weekend ending 04-01-12

Before we begin a great weekend with the Florida Relays, Arcadia Invitational and Pepsi Team Invitational let us review what a great weekend we recently had. We will mainly look at the Texas Relays and some of the great performances there.

WOMEN

This outdoor season has already started off with a bang. This season looks as if the chase for the top is a little more competitive indoors.

This past weekend at the Texas Relays LSU made their usual strong statement. The Lady Tigers posted some phenomenal times in both the 4x100 relay and 4x200 relay with times of 42.99 and 1:30.01 respectively. Kimberlyn Duncan anchored both relays and ran a strong race in the 100 meter dash. Duncan clocked in at a wind-aided 10.94 over Chelsea Hayes of Louisiana Tech who clocked in at 11.09. Duncan is the recognized leader of the team and has plenty of championship hardware to prove it.

Donique Flemings of Texas A&M brought home the 100 meter hurdle title clocking in a wind-aided 12.88. Flemings has definitely stepped up this outdoor season after a average indoor season.

The University of Texas also had some strong team performances. The Lady Longhorns had two impressive distance victories with a win from Marielle Hall in the 5,000 meter run clocking in at 16:35.63 and Brittany Marches in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 10;53.72.

In the sprints Texas claimed the 4x400 relay title becoming the first team to run sub 3:30 this season with a time of 3:29.72 (Stacey Ann Smith, Kendra Chambers, Allison Peter and Briana Nelson).

Chelsea Carrier-Eades of West Virginia maybe the best athlete to challenge defending champion Brianne Theisen of Oregon. Carrier-Eades had a solid all around effort in the heptathlon with a total point score of 5,821. Her score has automatically qualified her for NCAA's.

MEN

The Texas Relays is usually all about speed and this year did not dissappoint. Auburn University scorched the track with their outstanding 4x100 relay team. A team of Marcus Rowland, Harry Adams, Michael DeHaven and Keenan Brock clocked in a world leading time of 38.30. TCU has held the NCAA record of 38.04 since 1998 and held the previous record old record of 38.23 since 1989. That is over 20 years that TCU has held the NCAA record. Auburn has legitimate shot to challenge that record and become the first team under 38 seconds in college.

Jeff Demps won a very fast 100 meter race. Demps clocked in at 10.01, a slightly wind-aided performance. Demps definitely is looking to run in the low 9.9's and if possible sub 9.9 this outdoor season.

Barret Nugent of LSU got off to a fast start in the 110 meter hurdles. Nugent the defending champion clocked in at 13.37 to win the event over Shane Braithwaite of Texas Tech who clocked in at 13.43. Although the performance is wind-aided Nugent is definitely serving notice that he is still the front runner.

Texas A&M normally known as a sprint power was well represented by their distance core. The Aggies won the distance medley and the 4x800 relay. They were also 2nd in the 4x1,500.

Erik Kynard of Kansas State got back to his wining ways in the high jump. Kynard leaped to a height of 7'3. Kynard was the leader all indoor season but was unable to perform up to his championship level at the NCAA Indoor Championship missing out on the title. Kynard was able to Derek Drouin of Indiana the defending NCAA Outdoor Champion and teammate Darius King.

Issac Murphy of Texas also had a strong day in the field, Murphy dominated the men's decathlon with performances that included a 10.47 100 meter dash. Murphy's point total 8,067 will definitely put him the NCAA title discussion with Gray Horn of Florida.

It is now April and expect for the performances to pick up. The Florida Relays should provide some interesting fireworks.

MEN'S 4X100 RELAY AT THE TEXAS RELAYS