Penn Relays Friday: Baker’s epic 2:02, Columbia’s 8:45.37 4x8 and Hunter’s 3k soph USR

by Steve Underwood

Records, near-records and US#1s

  • US#1 8:45.37 girls’ 4x800m relay (#2 all-time, #3 in meet history) by Columbia NJ team of Aigner Bobbitt (2:17.21), Imani Coleman (2:11.82), Emily Cowan (2:13.80) and Olivia Baker (2:02.55).  For Baker, who passed four runners on her leg, it was the #1 800 leg in meet history and the 2nd-fastest ever by a prep on any relay (in any meet) – second only to Ajee Wilson’s 2:00.59 in the 2010 NBNO 1,600 SMR.  2nd and 3rd to Edwin Allen JAM at 8:50.36 and Holmwood Tech JAM at 8:56.03.  US#2-5 for 4th-7th places, with Western Branch VA at 9:03.76, Central Bucks South PA at 9:04.59, Freehold Twp NJ at 9:05.14 and Blacksburg VA at 9:05.25.
  • 44.70 girls’ 4x100m relay for Edwin Allen JAM team of Christania Williams, Claudette Allen, Saqukine Cameron and Monique Spencer, winning by more than half a second over Holmwood Tech JAM 45.53 and Wolmer’s Girls JAM 45.62.  US#2 45.63 for Long Beach Poly CA in 4th after finishing 1st, 1st and 3rd the previous three years.
  • 3:34.76 girls’ 4x400 relay for Edwin Allen JAM team of Saqukine Cameron (54.6), Monique Spencer (52.9), Marleena Eubanks (53.34) and Camira Haughton (53.85), just .01 off the Penn Relays record and giving them two victories and a runner-up finish in the three Friday relays.  Edwin Allen won by more than six seconds over Holmwood Tech JAM 3:41.17, with St. Jago JAM 3:42.79 and St. Elizabeth Tech JAM 3:43.34 following.  US#4 3:45.79 for Columbia NJ in 5th, beating Long Beach Poly CA 6th with 3:45.90.
  • US#1 and soph class national record 8:16.35 boys’ 3000m run for Andrew Hunter (Loudoun Valley, VA), the 2nd-fastest 3k time in Penn history.  Hunter outkicked Canadian Justyn Knight (St. Michaels, ONT), who ran 8:17.63.  US#5 8:20.14 for Alexander Ostberg (Darien, CT) in 3rd, followed by Dominic DeLuca (Dallas, PA) 8:21.89, Louis Colson (Edison, VA) 8:22.91 and Ross Wilson (Council Rock North, PA) 8:23.56.  A total of 14 ran 8:30 or faster.
  • US#1 10:03.77 boys’ distance medley relay by West Chester Henderson PA team of Eric Stratman (3:07.78), Steve Thompson (50.85), Kevin Moy (1:55.17) and Tony Russell (4:09.99).  They pulled away decisively on the final leg from NBNI champ Cardinal O’Hara PA, which was outkicked for 2nd in the final meters by Northport NY, US#9 10:10.86 to US#10 10:11.17.  Christian Brothers VA was a solitary 4th with 10:16.04.
More outstanding victories
  • US#2 200-9 boys’ discus throw for Mathew Zajac (E.C. Glass, VA senior), taking it on his final attempt over Basil Bingham (Calabar, JAM).  Bingham had led from his first attempt, a 196-3.  Alec-Verne Longmore (Jamaica College, JAM) nipped David Lucas (Warwick, PA) for 3rd, 180-8 to 180-6.
  • 220-7 boys’ javelin throw for Denzel Pratt (St. Augustine’s, BAH), winning on his final attempt over Curtis Thompson (Florence, NY).  Thompson had taken the lead on his 2nd attempt with 213-9, then extended it on throw #5 to US#2 220-4 before Pratt’s big throw.  Chris Mirabelli (Holy Cross, NJ) was 3rd with 207-7, just off his previous US#2 mark.
  • US#7 63-5 boys’ shot put for Benjamin Bonhurst (Smithtown West, NY senior), winning by nearly four feet.  Andrew Robinson (McDonogh School, MD) edged Corey Murphy (Longwood, NY) for 2nd, 59-7 to 59-5.75.
  • 4:13.35 boys’ mile by Luke Gavigan (Tappan Zee, NY junior), outkicking Ian Midler (Mt. Tabor, NC senior) at 4:13.67.  Matthew Novak (Deep Run, VA) took 3rd with 4:17.16.
Friday’s boys’ qualifiers
  • 7:42.94 boys’ 4x800 by Calabar JAM in race 304-1 to pace qualifying for Saturday’s final.  They were followed closely in that race by NBNI champ Chaminade NY at US#3 7:44.20 and South Brunswick NJ at US#4 7:44.46.  Six other U.S. schools and three Jamaican schools filled out the rest of the 12-team field, including Blacksburg VA 7:49.89 (won 302-1), Pennridge PA 7:50.43 and State College PA 7:50.44 (4th and 5th in 304-1).
  • 40.92 boys’ 4x100 by Jamaica College JAM in race 327-13 to lead qualifying for Saturday’s championship.  Calabar JAM in winning 327-4 and St. George’s JAM in winning race 327-25 were close behind on the watch with 41.01 and 41.03, respectively.  The first six teams to qualify were from Jamaica, with Long Beach Poly CA (2nd in 327-14) and T.C. Williams VA (wining 327-30) grabbed the only two spots for U.S. schools with 41.87 and 42.07, respectively.

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