College Outdoor Track and Field
Broncs at 117th Penn Relays
DMR Sets Rider Record and Places Fifth
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-Several members of the Rider University track and field teams competed on day one of the 117th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia Thursday afternoon.
"We ran some very respectable races," said head coach Bob Hamer. "The women's distance medley was fantastic, setting a Rider record by almost 24 seconds. They ran a really nice race."
The women's distance medley relay of senior Chelsea Callan (Hazlet/Raritan), sophomore Erin McMullin (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy), junior Kristen Perrine (Brick/Brick Memorial) and junior Heather Giovagnoli (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) set a Rider record with a time of 11:54.43, placing fifth.
"Chelsea got us started and then Erin ran a spectacular leg," Hamer added about the DMR. "Kristen was solid and put Heather in great position to compete against the top runners. Overall it was a great team effort."
The 4x100 relay of senior Shaylah Counts (Newark/Malcolm Shabazz), McMullin, senior Jillian Rubbico (Plains, Pa./Coughlin) and sophomore Mia Riley (West Caldwell/James Caldwell) placed 53rd (48.76).
The women's 4x400 relay of sophomore Jordyn Horning (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley), sophomore Lauren Findley (Hallstead, Pa./Blue Ridge), Riley and sophomore Ashley Hunter (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) was 61st (3:55.95).
"Everyone wants to be part of the Penn Relays and it gets tougher and tougher each time to reach the qualifying marks," Hamer said. "Anybody who is anybody wants to compete at this event, the crowd and the pomp and circumstance that is involved with the whole weekend. It is just a great atmosphere and experience. This is the pinnacle of track and field."
Competition for Rider at the Penn Relays continues April 29-30.
On Friday for the Rider men's team, sophomore Jorge Merino (Old Bridge) will compete in the shot put (11:15am - event 611) and the distance throw (at 1:30pm - event 613).
The men's 4x100 relay of sophomore Perry Asare (Lindenwold), sophomore David Hightower (Easton, Pa./Easton), freshman Wilvenson Baptiste (Irvington) and sophomore Daequan Kim (Bordentown) will run in event 332 at 12:35pm.
On Friday for the Bronc women, the 4x200 relay of Counts, Riley, Hunter and McMullin will run at 2:10pm in event 344.
Also for the Bronc men on Friday, the shuttle hurdle relay of sophomore James Burroughs (West Orange) Hightower, freshman Matthew Millemann (Hillsborough) and junior Ron Moore (Nashville, Tenn./John Overton) will run at 2:55pm (event 349) with freshman Steven Brown (Penns Grove) competing in the long jump at 3:30pm (event 620).
Rounding out the competition for the Rider men Friday, senior Christian Gonzalez (Somerset/Franklin Twp.), sophomore Dave Brown (Ewing), sophomore Greg Wesh (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and senior Michael Soroko (Kinnelon) will run the distance medley relay at 4:00pm (event 364) with Baptist, Burroughs, Hightower and Moore running the 4x400 relay (event 368) at 4:40pm.
On Saturday, for the Rider men, Asare and S. Brown will compete at 9:00am in the triple jump (event 702) with freshman Christopher McGovern (Old Bridge/St. John Vianney) throwing the javelin at 12:30pm in event 709.
The men's 4x800 relay of freshman Joseph Carlin (Staten Island, N.Y./McKee), Gonzalez, Soroko and Wesh will run at 4:35pm (event 486).
For the Bronc women on Saturday, senior Johanna Clarke (Laurelton, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy), Perrine, Giovagnoli and Callan will run the 4x800 relay (2:10pm - event 468).
Live results and video is available at www.pennathletics.com or at www.thepennrelays.com.
Also on April 29-30, the Bronc track and field teams will be competing at the College of New Jersey Invitatinal. The men's and women's hammer throw will be at 4pm Friday with the balance of the meet starting at 10:30am on Saturday.
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