Goodnight!

And with that, day one of the 128th Penn Relays comes to an end! Thanks for tuning in with us, we’ll be back in the morning with more live updates from day two of the nation’s biggest track and field event!

Day one comes to a close with Notre Dame’s Joshua Methner winning the College Men's 10000-meter Championship

To wrap up a long day of track and field events, the college men’s 10000-meter race got off to a fast start as a leading group of 11 athletes quickly separated from the rest of the field, averaging just over 70 seconds per lap. At the halfway point, a group of nine began to separate with Eastern Kentucky’s duo of Jackson Siddall and Nikodem Dworczak battling it out with Notre Dame’s duo of Joshua Methner and Robert Cozean in the top four.

After trading off with his teammate, Dworczak led the race heading into the last 600 meters before Methner exploded over the final 400 meters, finishing in first place with a time of 28:43.53.

N.C. State’s Leah Stephens and Kelsey Chmiel go 1-2 in the College Women's 10000-meter Championship

We start the last women’s event of the day with a tightly grouped bunch through just 800 meters before individual groups start appearing. Halfway through the race, the lead pack consisted of eight athletes with the N.C. State duo of Leah Stephens and Kelsey Chmiel. With less than 3000 meters left, the pack dwindled to just six runners, but Stephens and Chmiel continued to lead. Stephens did not let her foot off the gas as she cruised to a first place finish with a time of 33:09.25, followed by her teammate Chmiel with a time of 33:15.66.

Up next is the College Men’s 10000-meter Championship to wrap up the day’s slate of events.

North Carolina’s Will Coogan wins College Men's 5000-meter Championship

After Samuel Whittaker of Central Connecticut led the field for the opening half of the race, the Wisconsin duo, Micah Wilson and Josh Truchon, made a concerted team effort to pass Whittaker. Wilson made the decision to pace for Truchon, sacrificing himself by stepping out of the track after 3000 meters. The sacrifice was in vain as North Carolina’s Will Coogan passed Truchon in the last 800-meters en route to a first place finish with a time of 13:52.60.

The lone Penn athlete competing in the top heat was sophomore Sahil Dodda, who ran toward the middle of the pack for much of the race before eventually finishing 17th with a time of 14:21.42.

Next up is the College Women’s 10000-meter Championship.

Elon’s Jette Beermann wins College Women’s 5000-meter Championship

In a highly contested race between some of the top long-distance programs in the nation, Jette Beermann of Elon was able to hold off Ava Earl of Northwestern to finish first with a time of 15:42.30 — good for 22nd in the nation. The Washington duo of Haley Herberg and Julia David-Smith, who stayed with the front of the pack, finished middle of the field in what is a slight disappointment for the program that entered the event favored to place well.

The College Men’s 5000-meter will be a tight race, with a slate of extremely talented runners set to compete. The runners to watch are David Vorbach of N.C. State, Hunter Christopher of Youngstown State, and Shane Henderson of Stony Brook. Penn has five athletes scheduled to run: sophomore Sahil Dodda, freshman George Keen, Troy Hill, Rory Lieberman, and Dennis Fortuna.

Photo by Weining Ding.

Kristian Imroth of Eastern Kentucky wins College Men's 3000-meter Steeplechase Championship

Eastern Kentucky’s Kristian Imroth attacked the race like a true distance runner — biding his time and waiting to strike. With less than a lap to go, N.C. State’s Brett Gardner led the field by nearly 50 meters and appeared to have the title locked away. But it was then that Imroth made his move, kicking through the final two barriers and claiming a thrilling comeback victory with a time of 8:35.32.

The second to last event of the night is the College Women’s and Men’s 5000-meter Championships, with the women slated to run first. The top contenders for the Women’s 5000m are Haley Herberg of Washington, Ava Earl of Northwestern, and India Weir of Washington. Representing Penn are senior Maeve Stiles and sophomore Lily Murphy.

Penn senior Liv Morganti wins College Women's 3000-meter Steeplechase Championship

Faith DeMars of Penn State leapt out to an early lead and clung on to that lead for much of the race. Around the six-minute mark, a tight knit group of three separated itself from the rest of the runners. That group consisted of DeMars and her teammate Makenna Krebs, with Penn senior Olivia Morganti right on their heels.

With under two laps to go, it became a race to the finish line between Krebs and Morganti, with Morganti sliding into the lead with 600 meters to go. While much of the field seemed to tire out with each passing barrier, Morganti picked up steam as she approached the finish line. Morganti became the first Quaker at this year’s Penn Relays to win a championship watch, finishing with a new personal best time of 9:57.94 — good for 12th in the NCAA this year.

"I mean, it's awesome," Morganti said. "Penn track is on the up right now — everyone can see it. It's all coming together … It's just awesome to be able to be a part of something building so much. And you know, I'm on my way out, but I'm hoping we leave behind a lasting legacy where we just keep getting better recruits and I think Penn will be on top for a while."

Photo by Derek Wong.

Stony Brook’s Collin Gilstrap wins College Men's 1500-meter Championship

Zach Hughes of N.C. State led for much of the race until the last 400 meters of the race. With just 150 meters to go, Collin Gilstrap of Stony Brook made a strong outside push to claim first with a time of 3:43.52, nearly a full second ahead of the next runner. Hughes found himself sliding to fifth as Villanova’s Devon Comber, Penn junior Edwin Klanke, and Eastern Michigan’s Marcus Kemp all passed him in the last stretch.

It wouldn’t be a proper track and field meet without the steeplechase. The upcoming College Women’s 3000-meter Steeplechase Championship is a highly-anticipated event for the Quakers, with senior Olivia Morganti expected to dominate the event in the first heat. Fighting alongside her will be Catherine Beauchemin of Laval and Sarah Tait of West Virginia, making the event a tight race. Junior Katie Pou will represent Penn in the second heat.

The College Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Championship will immediately follow the women’s event and will be just as competitive. The expected winners are Patrick Thygesen of Providence, Peter Herold of Georgetown and Brett Gardner of N.C. State. Junior Silas Ruth will be running for the Red and Blue.

Photo by Grace Chen.

Rider’s ​​Teagan Schein-Becker wins College Women's 1500-meter Championship

Teagan Schein-Becker of Rider pulled away from the rest of the group in the last 300 meters to claim first place in the championship with a time of 4:09.87. The time is good enough to make it the 12th fastest time in the nation this year. The field was strong across the board as multiple runners broke into the top 48 in the rankings with their times.

Photo by Grace Chen.

Devin Nugent of Pittsburgh finishes with collegiate-best time of 50.84 seconds in College Men’s 400-meter hurdles 26th in the country

Pittsburgh’s Devin Nugent pulled away early in the race and never conceded any ground as he cruised to a first place finish in the College Men’s 400-meter Hurdles Championship. His time of 50.84 seconds is not only a personal-best, but also places him at 26th place in the entire nation. With a spot to NCAA Regionals on the line, the performance was a meaningful one.

Penn freshman Ryan Matulonis also showed out in his first ever Relays at the collegiate level, finishing in second place behind Nugent with a time of 51.25 seconds. The finish comes after a hard push in the final 100 meters, where Matulonis was able to leapfrog the rankings, going from sixth to second. Penn freshmen Alex Sadikov and Nicolas West finished the meet with times of 54.13 and 55.50 seconds respectively.

“During the race, I knew that I'd have a kick at the end,” Matulonis said. “That's kind of been my go to thing this year. So coming off the backend, I knew I had to give it all I got and I had a lot in me so it made it a lot easier to make that push.”

Following the College Men’s 400m hurdles is the College Women’s 1500m Championship, the first college distance race of the day. The event is filled with the country’s best, with the expected winner being Teagan Schein-Becker of Rider. Other top competitors include Kileigh Kane of Penn State and Grace Hartman of N.C. State. Representing the Red and Blue is sophomore Lara Cota and freshman Lindsay Yakaboski.

The College Men’s 1500m Championship will take place immediately after the Women’s 1500m, with Collin Gilstrap of Stony Brook, Cooper Cawthra of Texas A&M, and Xian Shively of Villanova expected to lead the pack. Not far behind are Penn junior Edwin Klanke, freshman Kofi Fordjour, sophomore Liam Going, and freshman Nicholas DeVita.

Photo by Grace Hu.

Savannah Sutherland of Michigan sets meet record in College Women’s 400-meter hurdles

Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland did not hesitate to assert her dominance in the event. Entering today, she held the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles with a blistering 54.86 seconds. The Penn Relays record in the event was set at 55.58 seconds by Lade Akinremi in 1995. The meet record seemed destined to fall and it did — Sutherland finished the 400m in 55.36 seconds to take first in the event. 

Penn freshman sprinter Amelia Kristen finished third in her heat of the College Women’s 400m hurdles with a time of 59.77, which was good enough for 13th place out of 37 athletes — a solid showing in her debut at the Relays for the Red and Blue.

Photo by Grace Chen.

First track collegiate championships looming

On the field, Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji takes first for the second year in a row in record-breaking fashion. On his fifth attempt, he achieved a distance of 74.15 meters, beating his previous best at the Relays by just three hundredths of a meter. Ikeji is well on his way toward cementing himself as a pivotal part of the Penn Relays history books.

The next track and field group takes running to a whole new level. The College Women’s 400-meter Hurdles Championship is up next and every competing school is bringing their best. The favorite entering the race is Savannah Sutherland of Michigan, who also currently holds the fastest time in the event in the nation this year at the collegiate level. Other hurdlers to watch for are Chloe Fair of Harvard and Ken’naria Gadson of Clemson. Only one Quaker is scheduled to run the race: freshman sprinter Amelia Kristen.

The College Men’s 400-meter Hurdles Championship is slated to follow the women’s. The field is headlined by a duo from South Florida consisting of Devontie Archer and Markel Jones. Sean Kalawan from St. Augustine is expected to be a tough competitor for the duo. Representing Penn is freshman Ryan Matulonis, freshman Alex Sadikov, freshman Sean Golembiewski, and freshman Nicolas West.

Related:

• Four freshman and sophomore Quakers to look out for at Penn Relays

Girls high school 4x400-meter relay heats come to a close

In Penn Park, the College Men’s Hammer Throw Championship is just starting the heat-up. After two attempts, Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji currently leads the field with a distance of 73.67 meters. With a season best 74.47m that Ikeji achieved less than a week ago, Ikeji could potentially reset his own record today. Penn junior thrower Scott Dochat is currently sitting in 14th after achieving a distance of 57.22m on his second attempt. However, Dochat is not without his support, as the Penn football team has showed up in large numbers to cheer on their teammate.

Back in Franklin Field, the closing heats for the high school girls' 4x400-meter relays got the crowd in an uproar. With blistering speed, Edwin Allen smoked the rest of its heat with a meet-leading 3:41.33 time, more than securing itself a place in the championship race tomorrow. Joining Edwin Allen will be Hydel (3:41.60), Bullis (3:41.60), St. Elizabeth (3:43.83), Union Catholic (3:45.11), Timber Creek (3:46.04), Vere Technical (3:46.60),  St. John’s College (3:47.17), and Wolmer’s Girls (3:47.47).

Photo by Derek Wong.

First collegiate champion of the 2024 Penn Relay Carnival crowned

In Penn Park, Marie Forbes of Clemson officially became the first collegiate athlete to receive a Penn Relays championship watch at this year’s competition, winning the College Women’s Hammer Throw Championship with a throw of 63.49 meters on her fourth attempt.

Next up, Penn will have its first athlete compete in a championship as junior thrower Scott Dochat is slated to compete in the College Men’s Hammer Throw Championship. Dochat, who holds the current program record, will have his work cut out for himself as the favorite to win the event is Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji, who set the Penn Relays record in the event last year at 74.12 meters.

Related:

• Penn track and field breaks three program records over weekend
• Penn track and field siblings Scott and Alexa Dochat are taking on throwing together

Veronica Vacca of Mount St. Joseph becomes first three-peat Penn Relays girls high school pole vaulting champion

In a day that’s already seen the crowning of the first three-peat Penn Relays high school girls' champion in the long jump, we also get to see the first three-peat Penn Relays high school girls' pole vaulting champion. Veronica Vacca of Mount St. Joseph Academy beat out the field, clearing a height of 4.04 meters, to secure her third championship watch. The Pennsylvanian native is currently ranked second in the nation, and as a junior, Vacca will get the chance to cement herself as a Penn Relays legend in her senior season at the Carnival next year. 

Back on the track, the girls high school 4x400-meter relay heats are still going, with more teams also starting to clock in sub-four minute times — the count is currently at six teams. To really highlight the prominence of the Penn Relays on a global scale, one of the teams competing in the girls high school 4x400m relay, St. Peter’s, made the journey to Philadelphia all the way from New Zealand.

First sub-four minute girls high school 4x400-meter relay time goes to New Jersey’s WWP South

The first sub-four girls high school 4x400-meter relay came in the 10th heat with WWP South logging a time of 3:57.56 after the anchor Anastasia Kudin ran a 58 second split — this launched WWP South to fourth place in the New Jersey rankings. Kudin’s sprint to the finish line was met with loud cheers from the crowd — a crowd that has already far exceeded any Penn football game from this past year in attendance.

College Women's Hammer Throw Championship gets underway

As the 31 heats of girls high school 4x400-meter relays continue, the first college athletes have also started competing with the College women’s hammer throw starting at 12 p.m. Penn freshman thrower Ella Neskora finished in 15th with a throw of 48.19 meters in her first appearance representing the Red and Blue at the Relays. The College Women’s Hammer Throw Championship is set to get underway at 2 p.m. with Clemson’s Marie Forbes leading the group as the favorite to win entering the competition.

No team has recorded a sub-four minute relay time yet, although several teams have come close to the mark with the fastest time currently at 4:02:17. With a highly stacked backend of relay teams in the later heats, some of the teams favored to win the championship tomorrow will be stepping on the track soon. Among these teams are Jamaica’s Hydel and Maryland’s Bullis, who have both recorded sub-3:40.00 times in the event this year.

High school girls back into action

After a series of Masters races, the high school girls action picks up right where it left off with the 4x400-meter relay heats. If the first heat means anything, this event could get very intense as Henry Snyder beat out in-state rivals Ewing at the finish line to finish a hundredth of a second ahead with a time of 4:21.35. Only the top nine teams will qualify for the championship tomorrow.

There’s till plenty of juice left in the tank for Michael Kish

In a break from high school action, the teams and individuals competing in the Masters level took to the track. In the Masters Men’s 4x100-meter 40/50 and older, the audience rose to its feet in a standing ovation as the Potomac Valley TC Stars A finished first with a time of 47.45 seconds. In the Masters Men’s 4x100m 60 and older race, Flashpoint also received a standing ovation as it crossed the line in 51.84 seconds.

The loudest cheer, though, was saved for the Houston Elite, who won the Masters Men’s 4x100m 70 and older race with a time of 59.44 seconds. Anchoring the team was Michael Kish, who became a viral sensation two years ago when he took first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.47 seconds — despite being 70 years old. Kish retook the track less than half an hour later for the Masters Men’s 100m dash 70 and older, where he finished in first once again with an even faster time of 13.32 seconds.

The Special Olympics 4x100m relay was also a crowd favorite, as all of Franklin Field cheered on the field of nine teams to the finish line. SOFL - Florida Elite took home first place with a finish of 48.06 seconds. The high school girl’s triple jump championship also got underway in a field where Sarai Sealy of the Ursuline School is the projected favorite to win a championship watch.

Avery Lewis shows out in high school girl's long jump championships to wrap up morning events

Like in years past, Jamaica and the Bahamas dominated the high school girl’s 4x100-meter relay with six of the nine teams that have qualified for the Championships of America, hailing from the Caribbean nations. The field of nine teams are Hydel (45.99), Archbishop John Carroll (46.11), Holmwood Tech (46.38), St. Mary (46.46), St. Jago (46.55), Edwin Allen (46.59), IMG Academy (47.06), Union Catholic (47.07), and St. Augustine's (47.10).

In other action, Pennsylvanian native Avery Lewis of Friend’s Central returned to the Penn Relays where she has dominated in past years. The University of Southern California commit defended her previous title in the long jump, finishing in first with a jump of 6.01-meters. The reigning New Balance Nationals Outdoor long jump champion and 2024 Paris Olympics hopeful concludes her high school chapter at the Penn Relays on a strong note.

A first sighting of future Quaker Avery Elliott

While the 4x100-meter relays continue, we get our first look at one of the current high school seniors who will be donning the Red and Blue in the fall. Avery Elliott of the Episcopal Academy is currently competing in the girl’s high school long jump. After just two jumps thus far, the Pennsylvanian native currently sits in fourth place with a distance of 5.32 meters. The fastest 4x100m time on the day was held by Jamaica’s Wolmer’s Girls' High School who put up a time of 46.72 seconds. Reigning champions Hydel High School of Jamaica are set to take the track soon after winning at this year’s Jamaica Championships to begin the team’s journey to defend its title.

Related:

• Meet three of Penn women's track and field's recruits

And we're off!

We’ve kicked off the 128th Penn Relays with a plethora of girls' high school events taking place on Franklin Field to get us started. While the hundreds of high school girls' 4x100-meter relay heats have started this year’s event off with some blistering pace, the high school girls' high jump competition is also heating up. There remain just two jumpers left battling it out for first place — Johanna Stuard of Westfield High School and Jaidyn Wiseley of Neshaminy High School. As of right now, Bishop Michael Eldon High School of the Bahamas leads the field of relay times in the 4x100m with a time of 48.55 seconds.

Photo by Derek Wong.

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