Penn track and field 4x800m relay team finishes fourth at Millrose Games

This weekend brought ESPN coverage to Penn track and field.

The men’s team sent its 4×800 team to the Armory in New York City to take part on Saturday night in the 106th Millrose Games, the oldest indoor meet in America.

The Millrose Games were featured on ESPN3.com during the day of the meet and then aired on tape delay on ESPN Sunday night.

The 4×800 team of Mato Bekelja, Tim Hamlett, Kirk Webb and Tom Timmins participated in the event.

The team finished fourth and was proud to be featured in such a prestigious event that was broadcast nationwide on television.

Timmins, who won the 400 meter last Friday at the Lafayette/Rider Invitational, described the energy at the Millrose Games as “phenomenal.”

“I made sure to tell [my family] three or four times about it,” Timmins said. “They watched it online and will watch it on TV when it comes on.”

“There was a lot of energy, a lot of fun,” coach Robin Martin said. “Our focus is mainly on the Heps coming up, but we were very honored to be invited to the event.”

While the 4×800 team competed at the Armory, the women’s team and the rest of the men’s squad traveled to Princeton to take part in the Princeton Invitational at Jadwin Gym. The meet was a warmup for the 2013 Indoor Heptagonal Championships.

For the women, sophomore Heather Bong finished first in the 60-meter dash in a very close race. Freshman Gillian Berger finished third in the long jump. Senior Davielle Brown finished second in the pole vault after clearing 3.8 meters and again coming close to surpassing the school record of 3.9 meters.

On the men’s side, Chad Payne finished first in the 400-meter dash, John Trueman finished second in the mile run, Jake Brenza finished second in the shot put and Maalik Reynolds finished second in the high jump. The Quakers also swept the 1000-meter run.

Now both the men’s and women’s teams will prepare for the Heptagonals, which will be held this weekend in Cambridge, Mass.

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