Penn Relays: Long Beach Poly first to repeat in 118 years

PHILADELPHIA – Ariana Washington was going to do whatever it took on the anchor leg to ensure the Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) girls 400-meter relay victory in the Championship of America race in the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field on Friday.

"If I was going to have to trip somebody, I was going to trip somebody and we were going to win today," Washington joked afterward.

That wasn't necessary for the sophomore, who brought the defending champion Jackrabbits from fourth to first on the final leg for a dramatic victory in 46.35 seconds. The triumph enabled Poly to become the first United States girls team to repeat in the event as champion in the meet's 118-year history.

Jamaican schools Herbert Morrison and Edwin Allen were second and third in 46.49 and 46.55, respectively. Wakefield (N.C.) was fourth in 46.86 in the nine-team field that included six Jamaican teams.

It is the fourth 400 relay victory of Poly, which also won in 1995 and 2003. Poly is the only United States school to win the event since 1981. The Jackrabbits also moved into a tie for second with St. Jago for most Penn Relays victories in the event.

"They are all exciting," Poly coach Don Norford said about the Championship of America wins. "I love coming to Penn Relays because you have a great crowd. It is just a great place to run a track meet. It's pure track. Every time you win there is excitement and that little unknown there. But we figured that we could win it." The odds appeared against it. Poly had one runner back from the 2011 champion team with senior Traci Hicks in Friday's lineup with senior Tori Myers, junior Diamond Thomas and Washington running in the relay for the first time at Penn.

"I had been with those girls forever last year so winning is different," Hicks said. "Having a new win with a new team is a fresh start and is something big as well."

Hicks was in tears afterward. It was hard to tell if it was from joy or the disappointment of not being able to pose with comedian Bill Cosby, as past Poly teams. Cosby was at the meet but had left the infield before Poly's race. Hicks had tried to quell the nervousness of Myers, Thomas and Washington. Thomas watched You Tube videos of past Poly races at Penn until the wee hours of the morning for inspiration in Friday's race.

"Since Traci is on another leg, it's like four fresh new girls that haven't run before," Washington said referring about Hicks move from the third leg to the second leg this season. "We're doing something right. I am totally shocked. I am amazed. We all had to do our part." Poly posted the top qualifying time in the heats on Thursday-a feat never achieved during the Jackrabbits annual trek to Penn. Poly sprints coach Doc Moye credited Poly's tradition at Penn was a major influence in Friday's win that raised the Jackrabbits total to 13 overall along with the girls 1,600 relay (1995, 1997, 2003 and 2004), boys 400 relay (1997), boys 1,600 relay (2003 and 2007) and boys 3,200 relay (2003 and 2011).

"I knew that when it was time to step up they were ready to go," Moye said. "That's one thing about being at Long Beach Poly. Everybody is hungry and wants to have the success of the relays at the Penn Relays. You always hear about the great races at Penn."

Add Friday's race to the list.

Poly, running in the middle of the track in lane 5, trailed Herbert Morrison, Edwin Allen and Wakefield when Washington got the baton on the anchor. Norford, however, had prepared for such a scenario with the Jackrabbits practicing daily on its dirt track with tight turns that mimics the close confines of the layout of Franklin Field built in 1895.

"I knew personally that we could win it because we had the speed," Norford said. "We noticed certain things about the certain teams on the anchor leg and we exploited the weakness that they had. And Ariana ran it to perfection. That's why she was able to go right by them." The Jackrabbits will look to add another championship in the final session of the three-day competition in the boys 400 team. The team of junior Gerald Wicks , sophomore Austin Gunter, and senior Tiller Gaston and Richard Smith won its heat in 42.23 to advance to the Championship of America final as the No. 7 seed.

In addition to the girls 400 relay, there were dramatic finishes in the boys championship mile, 3,000 meters and the distance medley relay.

In the mile, Craig Engels (Ronald Reagan, N.C.) nipped front runner and 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships 1,500-meter finalist Jacob Burcham (Cabell Midland) at the line, 4:09.42 to 4:09.49. In the 3,000 meters, Thomas Madden (Skyline-Front Royal, Va.) won decisively with a final lap surge in 8:25.54.

In the boys distance medley relay, Kenyan born junior Edward Cheserek ran a 4:06.2 final 1,600-meter anchor to bring St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) to a come-from-behind victory over defending champion Christian Brothers (N.J.), 10:07.76 to 10:08.96. Edwin Allen of Jamaica won both the Championship of America girls 1,600 and 3,200 relays in 8:52.97. In the 3,200 relay, Fayetteville-Manlius (Manlius, N.Y.) was the top U.S. finisher in second in 9:04.22, buoyed by a 2:12.7 anchor by Katie Brislin. Junipero Serra (Calif.) was the top U.S. school in the 1,600 girls relay in 3:46.43 (fourth).

In the throws, Sam Mattis (East Brunswick, N.J.) won at 211 feet, 11 inches, the top mark in the country this season. Kyle Long (Hempfield, Pa) was second at 193-4 and Jamaican World Youth champion Fedrick Dacres (Calabar) was third at 185-6.

Braheme Davis (Bridgeton, N.J.), the national yearly indoor leader, won at 68-8½. Billy Stanley (South Park, Pa.) was the javelin winner at 223-3 to improve on his runner-up finish in 2011.