Programming Note: The 2017 Penn Relays will be broadcast live from Franklin Field in Philadelphia Thursday through Saturday April 27-29 via USATF.TV +PLUS and NBC Sports Network. The USATF.TV broadcast requires a RunnerSpace +PLUS subscription. All events from the USATF.TV will be available for on-demand viewing on USATF.TV. Sign up here for RunnerSpace +PLUS.

 

Wilson and Geist ready to go after shot put records

By Jim Lambert for DyeStat

Here are a dozen high school storylines to follow at the 123rd Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Big shots

Not only are meet record holders Jordan Geist of Knoch PA and Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic NJ two of the biggest favorites to win at Penn, these two shot put phenoms are each capable of making history every time they step in the circle, as they seek to add to their legacies as two of the greatest throwers in U.S. high school history.  

The UCLA-bound Wilson, who set the Penn Relays record with her winning throw of 51-6.50 last year, shattered the national indoor record with a bomb of 57-5.25 at the Eastern States Championships in New York in February.

Now she’s chasing the national outdoor record of 56-8.25 set in 2014 by Raven Saunders of Burke SC. Wilson, who owns a season best of 54-1.75, is seeking to become just the fourth girl to win multiple shot put tiles. Nicole Sims of Plainfield NJ won four from 1990-93, Heather Colyer of East Juanita PA won three (1996-98) and Emily Vannoy of Gov. Johnson MD won in 2008 and 2009.

The Arizona-bound Geist, who has won the last two boys shot put titles at Penn, won last year with a meet record heave of 73-0.75. This past indoor season, Geist sent the 12-pound sphere 76-10.50, No. 2 in U.S. indoor history behind the 77-2.75 national indoor record set in 2011 by Ryan Crouser of Barlow OR, the shot put gold medalist at the Olympic Games in Rio. 

Crouser and Michael Carter of Jefferson High in Texas, who set the national outdoor record of 81-3.50 in 1979, are the only two high school athletes to throw further than Geist. Carter won the silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.  

With another victory at Penn, Geist will join Nick Vena of Morristown NJ as the only male shot putters to win at least three titles in a row at Penn. Vena won four championships from 2008-11.    

Can the Jamaicans hold off the Olympian?

Jamaican teams are riding an eight-year winning streak in the girls 4x400, with Edwin Allen capturing the last three, and this year Jamaica brings three teams that have gone under 3:37. They are Hydel (3:35.15), St. Jago (3:36.47), and Holmwood Tech (3:36.60). With this much firepower in the race, the meet record of 3:34.75 by Holmwood Tech in 2001 could be challenged.

Can a U.S. team crash the Jamaican party and become the first U.S. team to win since Eleanor Roosevelt MD captured its second straight in 2008? 

Well, you can never count out Union Catholic NJ, which will have Olympic 400-meter hurdler Sydney McLaughlin bringing plenty of heat on the anchor. McLaughlin always gets the crowd on its feet when she has the baton.

Last year, McLaughlin split 52.12, No. 5 in meet history, to bring Union Catholic up to third in 3:42.59.  McLaughlin has already split 51.17 earlier this month, and ran a national indoor record 51.61 when she repeated as 400 champ at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. So the all-time 400 high school split record at Penn of 51.5 by Chrisann Gordon of Holmwood Tech in 2013 is on very shaky ground.

And look out for Bullis of Potomac, Md., which won the New Balance Indoor Nationals in 3:39.70.

Other U.S. teams to watch are Nansemond River VA (3:43.90) and Western Branch VA (3:44.73). 

Poole aims for big splash

One of the biggest stars to keep an eye on in Philly is Cory Poole of East Orange in New Jersey.

The University of Florida-bound Poole has a chance to win the 400 hurdles and run in the Championship of America 4x400.  

Poole, fifth in the 400 hurdles at Penn last year, ran a personal-best 51.56 when he placed second at the New Balance Nationals last June and was fourth at the U.S. Junior Nationals in 51.91.

Poole’s PR is just off the 51.37 run by top-seed Timor Barrett of St. Jago. So far this season, Poole has run a US#2 52.60 in the 400 hurdles. The U.S. leader is Ronaldo Griffiths of Clara Barton in New York with a 51.92.  

If Poole wins, he’d be the sixth from the Garden State to win the boys 400 hurdles. No other state in the U.S. has won more than two titles since the event was added in 1991.   

As for the 4x400, with eight sub-3:14 teams from Jamaica, it’s going to be tough for U.S. teams to earn a spot in the eight-team C of A 4x400, but Poole and the rest of his East Orange squad could do it. East Orange, the fastest non-qualifier for the final last year with a 3:17.22 to win its heat, won the New Balance National Indoor title last month by more than two seconds in 3:16.09.    

Can Carlisle win without top gun? Will West Coast team win 1st DMR?  

After throwing down a national indoor record 9:56.18 to capture the DMR at the New Balance Nationals in New York last month, Carlisle of Pa. looked like a lock to win and smash the Penn DMR meet record of 9:59.66 set in 2001 by Reston High in Va., which was anchored by the great Alan Webb.  

But that was before Carlisle stud anchor Noah Affolder was diagnosed with a right ankle injury, knocking him out of Penn. 

So the big question heading into Penn is can Carlisle still win without Affolder, who won the mile at the Millrose Games in 4:07.24 and dropped a 4:04 on the anchor carry at the NB Indoor Nationals?

Carlisle coach Ed Boardman is still very confident in his team.

“We definitely think we can do well even without Noah, otherwise we wouldn't be attending,’’ Boardman said. 

Boardman said he’ll move Isaac Kole to the 1200, run Jack Wisner on the 800, and move Sam Affolder, Noah’s younger brother, to the 1600. Either Prince Gaye, Jared Griffie, or Mychael Thomas will handle the 400.

At NBIN, Sam Affolder ran 3:02.1 for 1,200, and Kole ran 1:57.4 in the 800. Sam Affolder has a 4:09.89 mile PR and Wisner has gone 2:00.33 for 800.   

If Carlisle can’t overcome the loss of Noah Affolder, who will cross first? 

How about Bellarmine Prep of San Jose, Calif., which ran a US# 3 10:03.67 at the Stanford Invitational, and is seeking to become the first West Coast team to ever win? What about Germantown Friends of Pa. (10:12.55) or NBIN 4x1,600 winner and three-time champ Christian Brothers Academy of N.J? 

And don’t overlook LaSalle of Rhode Island, the 2015 winner and runner-up in last year’s epic duel with Loudoun Valley of Va. LaSalle will have David Principe, who cranked out a 4:00.97 mile indoors, on the anchor.       

Will Kate The Great Run?

One of the biggest mysteries heading in the Penn Relays is whether or not Kate Murphy of Lake Braddock in Virginia will compete.

Lake Braddock, entered in the 4x800 this year, won the DMR at Penn last year and ran a national indoor record 11:34.54 at the Virginia Showcase this past  Jan. 13. Those races came with the Oregon-bound Murphy on the anchor. But Murphy hasn’t raced since the Va. Showcase and Lake Braddock coach Mike Mangan said her status for Penn is “50-50’’. 

Murphy, who ran in the 1,500 in the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer, anchored the victory last year with a 4:37.65, the fastest high school split in meet history. She has PRs of 4:07.21 for 1,500, 4:39.47 for the mile and 2:06.70 for 800. With Murphy, Lake Braddock should be a major contender to win the 4x800.

It will be tough for even a Murphy-led Lake Braddock quartet to knock off the Jamaicans, who bring three sub-9:00 teams to Philly, Edwin Allen (8:47.71), Holmwood Tech (8:49.71), and Hydel (8:54.12).

The best from the U.S. include defending champion Shenendehowa of N.Y. (9:00.34) and New Balance Indoor National champs Ridge of N.J., (9:01.64).   

Ready to Rock

With defending champion and indoor DMR national record holder Lake Braddock of Va. running the 4x800 instead this year, North Rockland of New York, winners of the last three New Balance National DMR titles, is favored to add the coveted Penn Relays wheel to its impressive collection of distance titles.  

The Red Raiders won the New Balance DMR indoors in 2016, outdoors last June in 11:29.39, and won the NBIN title last month by nearly seven seconds in 11:41.04, 15 seconds ahead of runner-up and 2015 Penn DMR champ Patriot High of Va., the second-fastest team entered at Penn.  

North Rockland has a pair of hammers bookending its relay. Villanova-bound Alexandra Harris, who has run 2:14 for 800, 2:51 for 1,000 and 4:54 for 1,600, will lead off, and freshman Katelyn Tuohy, who owns PRs of 4:24.36 for 1,500 and 4:48.29, will close it out. Junior Sofia Housman (400) and freshman Haleigh Morales (800) ran the other two legs for North Rockland at NBIN. 

The best of the rest after North Rockland and Patriot are North Hunterdon of N.J. (12:00.45), Ursuline of N.Y. (12:02.16), Randolph of N.J. (12:03.72), and 2016 runner-up Saratoga Springs of N.Y. (12:03.92).

There’s only been one sub 11:30 ever run in the girls DMR in Penn Relays history when Tatnall of Delaware ran a meet record 11:28.86 to win in 2012.

New York and Virginia have combined to win five of the last six girls DMRs and 11 of the past 16.  

Red hot 4x100

Calabar vs. Kingston College could be one of the greatest boys 4x100 baton battles in meet history!

The Jamaican squads both come to Penn with sub-40 times, and both could take down the meet record of 39.63 that the teams share.

Calabar ran 39.63 to win in 2015, and Kingston College took down Calabar last year, 39.63 to 39.89, to earn a piece of the record. Kingston College is seeking a Penn Relays record 10th 4x100 title.  

Calabar has the edge on paper having run 39.43 to beat Kingston, second in 40.07 at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Championships in Jamaica. But Kingston has a season best of 39.90, and right behind them are Jamaica College at 40.20, and Excelsior at 40.28.  

The top U.S. entry is Western Branch VA at 42.02.

Western Branch won the 4x200 at MBIN in 1:26.96. Wilde Lake MD has run 42.64, and Bullis MD has run 42.67.

A Jamaican team has claimed the past 12 4x100 titles.

The last U.S. winner was Glenville of Cleveland, Ohio in 2004, which was led by current NFL wide receiver Ted Ginn. 

Double trouble

Calabar of Jamaica, the 4x100 and 4x400 champs in 2015, has a great chance to duplicate that double and could break meet records in both relays.

In the 4x400, Calabar has run 3:08.76, more than a second better than anyone else in the field. There are a total of eight Jamaican teams that have run under 3:13.60. St. Elizabeth is next at 3:09.97. St. Jago has gone 3:11.00, defending champ Jamaica College 3:11.77.

The meet record of 3:08.72 has stood since the legendary Obea Moore split 45.1 to anchor John Muir High of Pasadena, Calif. to the 1997 title.  

The top U.S. entries in the 4x400 are New Balance National Indoor champion East Orange N.J. (3:16.09), Bullis MD (3:17.68), Egg Harbor N.J. (3:18.45), and Elmont N.Y. (3:19.99).

There has only been one 4x400 in Penn Relays history that has seen two teams go under 3:10. It happened in 2013 when Calabar edged Munro College, 3:09.22 to 3:09.24.   

Jamaica has won the last nine 4x400 titles. The last U.S. team to win was Long Beach Poly of Calif. in 2007 when Bryshon Nellum anchored in 45.4 and held off held off Yohan Blake of St. Jago, who also split 45.4. 

Flair in the air

The meet record in the girls pole vault is in big trouble with Katie Jones of South Williamsport, Pa. returning to defend her title.

Jones, who become just the third girl in Penn Relays history to make 13 feet last year with her winning vault of 13-0.25, made 13-9.25 to win the New Balance Indoor National title last month. So the Penn Relays record of 13-1.50 by Emily Savage of Weston, Conn. in 2013 is on shaky ground.

And there’s a good chance we’ll see multiple girls getting over 13 for the first time in Penn Relays history. Erica Ellis of Gates Chili N.Y., third at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, has a PR of 13-2.25, and Leah Saifi of Gov. Livingston High N.J. cleared a PR of 13-0.50 to win the Eastern Championship in February.     

Rare repeat

Josh Hoey of Downington West in Pa. won last year in 4:11.90 and is bidding to become the first to win two straight tiles in the mile since the distance was changed from 1,500 to a mile in 1998. Six runners won two straight 1,500 titles, including Gabe Jennings (1996-97) and Seneca Lassiter (1994-95).

But Hoey will have to beat a loaded field that includes Dalton Hengst of the McDonough School in Maryland, fourth last year in 4:13.19, and Brandon McGorty of Chantilly High in Virginia, sixth last year.

Hengst beat Hoey at the New Balance Indoor Nationals last month when Hengst was fourth in 4:08.21 and Hoey sixth in 4:08.59, PRs for both runners.

McGorty, who has PRs of 4:08.58 for the mile and 1:48.58, is trying to join his brother Sean as a Penn Relays mile champ. Sean, now starring at Stanford, set the meet record when he won the 2013 high school mile at Penn in 4:04.47. No brother combination has ever won the high school mile/1,500 at the Penn Relays.    

How low will they go?

After winning last year in 7:33.71, No. 4 in meet history, St. Jago of Jamaican brings back its entire 4x800 lineup and could make a run at the meet record of 7:30.67 set in 2009 by Ablemarle VA.

St. Jago, which has run 7:32.76 this season, could lead a second straight 1-2-3 finish for the Jamaican teams in the 4x800.

The top U.S. teams are New Balance Indoor Champion Egg Harbor N.J. (7:48.92), Old Bridge N.J. (7:49.96), and Wadsworth OH (7:52.67). Old Bridge is anchored by NBIN 800 runner-up and Georgetown-bound Rey Rivera (1:50.04 indoors). 

Back to back in the field

Although the focus at Penn is mostly on the baton battles on the track, there are some defending individual champions that should once again shine.   

Liam Christensen of Academic Magnet S.C. aims to be the fourth boy to repeat in the javelin, and after his 219-2 last year, he could challenge the meet record of 223-3. 

Maura Fiamoncini of Mount Carmel, Pa., the javelin champ last year with a throw of 150-11, is seeking to become just the third repeat champ in that event, although national record holder Madison Wiltrout of Connellsville PA is also entered. Wiltrout, who set the record with her 185-8 in 2015, has thrown 163-2 this season.

And Tissanna Hickling of St. Jago, the girls long jump champ last year at 19-2.75, is favored to win again.