Arkansas, Stanford top men's schools

There are over 260 colleges and universities that will send athletes to compete at the 108th running of the Penn Relays this week.

But only a select few of the schools will most likely dominate the events at Franklin Field.

Perhaps the strongest field is for the Distance Medley Relay, which features the return of Arkansas and the collegiate debut of Alan Webb at the Relays.

Villanova -- the defending champion in the DMR -- will attempt to retain the crown.

"This program has come along so fast," Wildcats coach Marcus O'Sullivan said. "Just three years ago we were worrying about getting lapped here."

Given that the Villanova program was geared toward competing for the title this season, the squad might actually be better than the title team. It returns Ryan Haden, Jason Jabuat and Adrian Blincoe, with only Michael Brown being replaced in the 400m by Nicholas O'Brien.

Blincoe won the indoor NCAA championship in the 3,000.

The victory ended a 20-year drought for the Wildcats, who -- prior to the dry spell -- had won the event 16 straight years.

Villanova did benefit from good fortune in its return to the winner's circle, as the favored Stanford Cardinal were unable to complete the race after 800m leg-runner Jeremy Stevens fell down.

Also the dominant Razorbacks -- who have won this event 13 of 20 times since first coming to Penn in 1981 -- took a one-year break from the Relays to compete in the Drake Relays in Iowa.

Each team will challenge for the title this year.

"We've got a young team with some potential stars on it," Arkansas coach John McDonnell said. "We're not as high powered as Marcus's [Villanova] crew, but we'll give them a chase anyway."

Those future stars include Said Ahmed and Alistair Craig, each of whom had very strong indoor seasons.

Stanford will trot out an accomplished group with its two sub-four minute milers Donald Sage and Jonathan Riley, who join 2000 United States Olympian and seven-time All-American Gabe Jennings.

Michigan also will field a strong team led by acclaimed superstar, Alan Webb. Webb -- a former South Lakes High School sensation from Reston, Va. -- is famous for having run a sub-four minute mile that broke a 37-year-old high school record. Despite a lingering ankle injury that sidelined him for the winter season, the freshman will most likely run anchor for the Wolverines at the Relays.

Rounding out the top competitors in the field is a very strong UConn squad. The Huskies return Dan Wilson who won the Big East 1,000m during the indoor season.

Many of these same schools also look to win in the 4x800 relay.

Stanford is the defending champion in this event, while Kentucky was the runner up a year ago.

SEC-standout Florida, which returns three members from a squad that finished fourth a year ago, also appears primed for a run at the title.

Villanova and Arkansas complete the favorites.

Sentimental favorite Penn is also seeded in this event, but has not won the 4x800 at the Relays since 1922, and that does not figure to change this season.

Stanford is also the defending champ in the four-mile relay.

However, the Cardinal won last year without having to face Arkansas, which won the event every year from 1994-2000.

Villanova also looks to contend here, as it finished second in 2001.

Perennial sprint favorite TCU, which has dominated the sprint events at the Relays for the past 15 years, appears loaded once again. Sophomore Michael Frater and junior Kimton Coleman each posted impressive 100m dash times in Saturday's TCU Invitational. They ran a 10.05 and 10.29, respectively.

The Horned Frogs also have a potentially fast 4x100 team if it can stay healthy.

The quartet of Steve Slowly Frader, Jermaine Joseph and Demario Wesley is very capable of continuing TCU's speedy tradition. But Wesley -- last year's Junior College champ -- has been hampered by an injured left hip flexor but is expected to compete.

"We have sub-39 [second] potential," TCU coach Monte Stratton said. "But the anchor leg [Wesley] is hurt. He's not the same guy he was two weeks ago."

"And we're not the only team with sub-39 potential."

SEC schools -- Mississippi State, Louisiana State and Tennessee -- are the other teams likely to push the Horned Frogs.

Tennessee managed to unseat the Horned Frogs at last year's NCAA finals, and LSU has already run a sub-39 second relay.

Still, TCU -- which swept last year's Relays, winning the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 -- will be gunning for the top spot for the sake of its Caribbean recruiting efforts.

"We don't have a chance whatsoever of recruiting in Jamaica without the Penn Relays," Stratton said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.