{"id":311,"date":"2010-04-22T07:22:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-22T14:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=311"},"modified":"2010-04-22T07:22:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-22T14:22:00","slug":"this-weeks-big-meet-penn-relays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=311","title":{"rendered":"This Week\u2019s Big Meet \u2013 Penn Relays"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"float:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/view.picapp.com\/default.aspx?term=franklin field&#038;iid=4667986\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/3\/b\/2\/c\/Track_and_Field_0942.JPG?resize=380%2C253\" width=\"380\" height=\"253\"  border=\"0\" alt=\"Track and Field: 115th Penn Relays\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:left;height:0px;overflow: hidden;\"><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.pis.picapp.com\/IamProd\/PicAppPIS\/JavaScript\/PisV4.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Penn Relays are on tap this weekend, and while the focus is on the return of Usain Bolt to Penn and the USA v World events the collegiate competition could be the most exciting with high powered programs from Florida, Oregon, LSU, Florida Sate and Texas A&amp;M on hand. <\/p>\n<p>The whole concept of \u201cUSA v World\u201d is great in theory but has not lived up to that billing. For the most part it has been a showcase for US squads as we\u2019ve dominated most of the events over the years. Recently it has become \u201cUSA v Jamaica\u201d in the 4&#215;1, but historically neither country has put its best team on the track. Jamaica has had ongoing issues with the MVP track club while the US works too hard at trying to balance our squads. The result is that we don\u2019t get the squads that we would see either country enter at Worlds or the Olympics. So it\u2019s USA v Jamaica, but not at either\u2019s best.<\/p>\n<p>Bringing in Bolt as the headliner should help with the excitement of the 4&#215;1 however \u2013 regardless of what group takes the track with him because this year Jamaica will be running two squads as well (Black &amp; Gold) and adopting the US \u201cbalance\u201d approach by separating Bolt and Asafa Powell as each will anchor a squad. While I know that that is the US plan (balance) I would really like to see us put our best squad on the track. Right now I think that would be a team of Ivory Williams to Wallace Spearmon to Tyson Gay to Ryan Bailey. Williams has been our best starter indoors and is at 9.95 already. Spearmon looked good in anchoring his team in Texas and a relay veteran. Tyson is fit and a superior turn runner. And Bailey is #2 American on the clock in the 100 and a superb closer \u2013 and he and Bolt together on anchor could be a preview of the future. Unfortunately the relay pool doesn\u2019t have either Tyson or Wallace so that grouping won\u2019t happen \u2013 and we lose an opportunity to get our best together. Something we can\u2019t afford to keep doing given our recent history in major championships. <\/p>\n<p>Reportedly our pool consists of Darvis Patton, Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix, Travis Padgett, Shawn Crawford, Mark Jelks, Rae Edwards, Ryan Bailey, Ivory Williams and Leroy Dixon so I say we go with Dix and Crawford on the interior and give it a go with a squad of Williams to Dix to Crawford to Bailey. Dix has tremendous acceleration on the straight and Crawford is a turn veteran who is second only to Bolt and Gay. I\u2019m guessing that Bolt will run with a Racers Lions Club squad of Mario Forsythe to Yohan Blake to Marvin Anderson to Bolt. While we could see a pairing of Dwight Thomas to Michael Frater to Nesta Carter with Powell anchoring \u2013 pairing together MVP club mates. With the Jamaican squads having some passing history between them we could get a time somewhere in the 37.50 \u2013 37.75 range \u2013 taking down the meet record of 37.92, and finally giving Penn a respectable 4&#215;1. So putting the best available in our pool together will be imperative if we are to have a shot at winning this weekend. Balance will not win it for us. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also time to make an assault on the 4&#215;2 record. Tyson Gay (19.58), Wallace Spearmon (19.65), Walter Dix (19.69) and Xavier Carter all have 200 PR\u2019s that say a record attempt is possible. While it\u2019s too late for this year, If we could ever get them together at Penn the WR of 1:18.68 could possibly take a beating. It\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve seen a really fast 4&#215;2 at Penn, yet the 4&#215;2 was once one of Penn\u2019s hottest events. The meet record of 1:19.11 was a WR when set at Penn in \u201892, and 5 of the 8 fastest times ever were run at Penn. We\u2019re overdue for another big run! Perhaps a squad of Walter Dix, Darvis Patton, Shawn Crawford and Ryan Bailey could get under the 1:20.00 barrier. Patton and Crawford have been there before, and Crawford just keeps churning out 19.8\u2019s every year like clockwork. Dix certainly has the potential. And Bailey is improving rapidly and is the best 200 man available in the pool. <\/p>\n<h3>Best Ever 4&#215;2\u2019s<\/h3>\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" width=\"602\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">Time<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">Group<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Place<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">Date<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:18.68<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">SMTC (Marsh, Burrell, Heard, Lewis)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Mt SAC<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/17\/94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.10<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">World All Stars (Drummond, Mitchell, Bridgewater, Regis)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Mt SAC<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/17\/94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.11<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">SMTC (Marsh, Burrell, Heard, Lewis)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Penn<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/25\/92<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.16<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">USA Red (Crawford, Clay, Patton, Gatlin)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Penn<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/26\/03<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.38<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">SMTC (Everett, Burrell, Heard, Lewis)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Koblenz<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">8\/23\/89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.39<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">USA Blue (Drummond, Crawford, B. Williams, Greene)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Penn<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/28\/01<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.45<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">SMTC (Deloach, Burrell, Lewis, Heard)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Penn<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/27\/91<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"75\">1:19.47<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"391\">Nike (Brokenburr, A. Harrison, Greene, M. Johnson)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"78\">Penn<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"56\">4\/24\/99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Since I\u2019m talking about things I would like to see at Penn, I would also like to see an invitational 100 and mile \u2013 the 100 could even be a 100 \u201cyard\u201d dash to make it different and exciting. These are two of the biggest headline events at any meet and bringing in stellar fields in both would certainly help to spice things up.<\/p>\n<p>This year, though, I think the spice just might come from the colleges. Florida\u2019s men\u2019s team has already entered the all time top 10 collegiate lists in the 4&#215;2 (1:20.38, =9th) &amp; 4&#215;4 (3:00.31, 8th), and last week had an \u201cA\u201d 4&#215;1 run 39.06 while the \u201cB\u201d team went 39.31! Florida is a threat to go under 39.00, 1:20.00 AND 3:00.00 this weekend, weather permitting. The Penn Records are 38.68 (TCU, \u201801), 1:19.67 (TCU,\u201900), 3:01.10 (Florida, \u201804) \u2013 the 4&#215;2 mark also being the national college record.<\/p>\n<p>On the women\u2019s side Texas A&amp;M has last year\u2019s collegiate record setting 4&#215;1 foursome back and healthy. They\u2019re a threat to run better than their 42.36 mark at some point this year. And given that the squad ran 1:30.28 last year in the 4&#215;2, there is the possibility of a sub 1:30.00 run by this group \u2013 the collegiate record is 1:29.78 by LSU.<\/p>\n<p>Throw in squads from schools like Texas A&amp;M, Baylor, LSU, Florida State, and TCU and the college events should be both fast and deep. Including the distance oriented relays. Last year Tennessee\u2019s women went nuts with a CR &amp; AR of 8:17.91 in the 4&#215;800 and a WR of 17:08.34 in the 4&#215;1500! So as usual there will be much to cheer about when Penn opens the gates. Should be another stellar event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Penn Relays are on tap this weekend, and while the focus is on the return of Usain Bolt to Penn and the USA v World events the collegiate competition could be the most exciting with high powered programs from Florida, Oregon, LSU, Florida Sate and Texas A&amp;M on hand. The whole concept of \u201cUSA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-51","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}