Return Of Saturday At Penn Relays Reignites Passions And Provides Setting For Stirring Performances; Arkansas Women Slip Past N.C. State In 4x1,500 For Collegiate Record

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

From the outside, expectations for the Bullis School to make a relevant charge at the Championship of America Boys 4x400 relay crown during Saturday's nationally televised window at Penn Relays were muted at best. 

But coach Joe Lee could see something special beginning to develop day by day and carried some hope with him as he re-entered Franklin Field for the first time since 2019. 

Lee would love nothing more than to end Jamaica's decade-long winning streak and win the 4x400 one of these years. 

What happened on Saturday, though, provoked a feeling that was hard to beat. 

"It was one of the most happiest experiences of my coaching career," Lee said. 

Bullis has only six boys on the team this spring. Five of them came to Penn Relays. 

PHOTOS by John Nepolitan and Marietta Valente

Luke Schroeder, Aidan McDuffie, Myles Pendarvis and Oliver Bridges delivered a second-place finish in 3:11.90, a US#2 time. 

Bridges, a University of Cincinnati football recruit, ran 46.22 for the fastest split of the race in front of a huge crowd.

"I knew that it would be very difficult and we'd have to be clicking on all the right cylinders," Lee said. "No one was for us at all, like we don't have a team at all this year."

Bullis was the eighth-fastest qualifier and drew the unfavorable Lane 2 for the final. 

Schroeder, McDuffie and Pendarvis, who subbed in for Donovan Mauney with fresh legs, ran fast enough to hand the baton to Oliver in fourth. 

"I said to them 'Let's show the world who we are,'" Lee said. "This is a quieter team. They've got quirky little jokes. But they are the friendliest, kindest team I've been around. The love each other like brothers."

Second place is a new high-water mark for Bullis in a big Penn Relays final. 

"When we crossed the line second, it felt like we won. I was happy for them. I felt like a proud dad," Lee said.  

Jamaica College won the race in 3:09.52.

The Bullis girls were also the top U.S. finisher in the 4x400 relay, running a US#1 time of 3:40.88 for third place behind Hydel (3:32.77) and Edwin Allen (3:39.76), on Friday. 

Perhaps more than anything, Lee was glad to be back in an environment that he loves. 

"It's the best track meet in the world and it felt great to be home again," he said. "It's like a college homecoming for people. You see old teammates, friends, and people you've cheered year after year. It's awesome."

Elsewhere on Saturday, the Arkansas women outdueled North Carolina State in a high-profile 4x1,500 relay that saw both teams go more than 10 seconds under the meet record. 

The Razorbacks' quartet of Isabel Van Camp, Logan Jolly, Lauren Gregory and Krissy Gear ran to a collegiate and national record time of 16:53.87. 

N.C. State, anchored by Katelyn Tuohy, was second in 16:55.19. 

Olympic gold medalists Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu dazzled fans with impressive performances in secondary events. 

McLaughlin won the 100-meter hurdles in 12.75 seconds to break a meet record. 

Mu ran 1:22.74 to win the 600 meters over Jamaica's Natoya Goule (1:24.09) and Penn alum Nia Akins (1:25.14). High school standout Sophia Gorriaran of Moses Brown took fourth in 1:25.22 and outran pros Olivia Baker and Ajee' Wilson. 

Devon Allen won the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.11 seconds, which was a world-leading time for about an hour until Florida State's Trey Cunningham turned in 13.10 at North Florida. 

Camperdown won the boys 4x100 relay in 40.13 to lead a 1-2-3-4 sweep for the Jamaicans. Calvert Hall MD was the top U.S. team, fifth, in 40.73.

Texas edged Virginia by less than half a second to win the men's 4xMile, clocking 16:17.45. 

South Carolina's women (43.72) and Houston's men (39.45) won the collegiate 4x100 relay wheels. 

Former BYU teammates Anna Camp-Bennett (4:09.54) and Whittni Orton-Morgan (4:09.64) went 1-2 in the women's 1,500 meters. 

The Ole Miss men won their second relay wheel of the weekend by taking the 4x800 in 7:13.71. 

Penn State won the women's 4x800 and took second in the men's final. 

Ohio State's Anavia Battle won both the women's 100 meters (11.19) and also the 300 (36.70) less than an hour later. 

South Carolina also won the women's 4x400 in 3:26.53. Ohio State won the men's 4x400 (3:03.91), barely rallying past Houston (3:03.95).

Jamaica College returned to the track with four new runners and won the high school boys 4x800 by 13 seconds in 7:28.38. 

Ridge of New Jersey, which won the New Balance Nationals Indoor title, placed second with 7:41.59. 

Many of the top Jamaican teams are staying in the U.S. for an extra week with an eye on competing at Puma Presents The East Coast International Showcase, May 7 at Prince George's Sports Complex in Landover, Md.