Photo by Don Rich from Ashley Gatling's high jump win last year at Penn Relays. She did it again in 2007 with a top clearance of 5'7" at Franklin Field. Bethel's Shakia Forbes also won her first Penn Relays crown in the long jump with a mark of 19'4.25".
Day 1 updates as results are posted online through http://pennrelaysonline.com as well as flashresults.com
Girls High Jump: Deep Creek senior Ashley Gatling became a Penn Relays champion for the second time as she repeated in the high jump with a clearance of 5'7". Gatling just recently signed with Norfolk State University. Asked by penntrackxc.com's Don Rich if she was happy with 5'7"? "No, I'm never happy with 5'7". I can't remember the last time I missed 5'7". But a win is a win, and I got another watch." said Gatling. Its all about the watch at Penn Relays! Everyone wants one, but only a small few can have one!
Girls Long Jump: Bethel senior Shakia Forbes has a national title in the long jump and now she has a Penn Relays titles as well after putting up a top mark of 19'4.25" on Thursday at Franklin Field. Virginia had two of the top three in the event as two-time AAA state champion indoor champion Brittni Finch of Centreville was third over 19 feet at 19'1.50". While Forbes has a Penn Relays title over Finch, Finch has what Forbes wants in a state title in the long jump. The long jump should be a great event in June at Todd Stadium.
Girls Triple Jump: Virginia had two in the top six of the triple jump, which had a total of 17 competitors. Western Branch junior Ermesha Fair (38'10") and J.R. Tucker sophomore Jasia Richardson (38'8") both put up great marks well over 38 feet in fifth and sixth places respectively. It was the first time to Fair has achieved a mark over 38 feet, while Richardson was just off her personal best from the state indoor meet.
Girls 4x800: Without our top two relays from the indoor season in state meet record breakers Midlothian and previous US #1 indoor squad in Westfield, Virginia girls were overmatched in the 4x800 qualifiers for the Championship of American finals with none advancing. Potomac School improved upon their state leading time by five seconds to finish sixth in their section with a time of 9:30.89. The next fastes from VA was Langley at 9:38.72 as they finished ninth in their section.
Girls 4x100: Landstown girls post the fastest time among Virginia squads with a large schools heat #13 win in 47.64. Deep Creek (heat #7, 48.21), Bethel (heat #3, 48.50), Western Branch (heat #30, 48.87), Osbourn Park (heat #19, 48.96), and Booker T. Washington (heat #27, 49.03) are also heat winners. Landstown's time tied them four the fourth fastest among the US high school squads with Rancho Verde at 46.67 and Long Beach Poly CA at 47.28 faster, while they shared the same time with Uniondale NY at 47.64. However, it appears when taking the times to the thousandth of the second, Unionadale gets the nod as the final team to qualify for the Championships of American finals. Oh so close for Landstown! The Virginia Beach girls will be in the large school finals with fellow Virginia squads Deep Creek, Bethel, Western Branch, and Osbourn Park, so that means 5 Virginia schools will be in the finals of 9 teams!
Here are the qualifiers for Friday's High School Girls' 4x100 finals:
Event #126 Championship of America
(lane assignments listed first)
2 Uniondale NY
3 Long Beach Poly CA
4 Vere Technical JA
5 Manchester JA
6 Edwin Allen JA
7 St. Jago JA
8 Rancho Verde CA
9 Holmwood Technical JA
Event #125 Small Schools
(lane assignments listed first)
2 Germantown Academy PA
3 Swenson Arts & Technical PA
4 Largo MD
5 Woodrow Wilson NJ
6 Elizabeth Seton MD
7 Alpha Academy JA
8 St. Elizabeth Technical JA
9 Middle College NY
Alternates:
Weaver CT
William Penn Charter PA
Event # 124 Large Schools
(lane assignments listed first)
2 Osbourn Park VA
3 Western Branch VA
4 Eleanor Roosevelt MD
5 Bethel VA
6 Landstown VA
7 East Orange NJ
8 St. Andrew Girls JA
9 Deep Creek VA
Alternates:
The Queen's School JA
Booker T. Washington VA
Girls 4x400: Osbourn Park girls run the state's fastest time in a loaded heat with the Jamaicans (Holmwood Tech JA 3:44.78, Manchester JA 3:45.68) as they finish fourth in a time of 3:51.75. Osbourn Park's time is ninth fastest overall among all the 4x400 heats, thus puts them just short of qualifying for the Championships of America finals.. Deep Creek finishes fifth in the same heat at 3:57.30, while Landstown runs the second fastest on the day two heats prior in 3:52.56 as they finish third in their heat won by Eleanor Roosevelt MD in 3:43.95. The Booker T. Washington girls also break four minutes by winning their heat with a season best time of 3:55.71.
Girls 3K: Northside senior Catherine White took a top 3 finish in the Penn Relays 3K for the second year in a row as she posted a nearly identical time of 9:49.10 from her 2006 time of 9:49.19. Her time converts to roughly a 10:32. W.T. Woodson senior Sarrah Hadiji also competed in the 3K and took ninth in 10:00.24, which would convert to a 3200 meter personal best of 10:44 for 3200 meters.
More updates to come from Penn.
Photo by Don Rich from Ashley Gatling's high jump win last year at Penn Relays. She did it again in 2007 with a top clearance of 5'7" at Franklin Field. Bethel's Shakia Forbes also won her first Penn Relays crown in the long jump with a mark of 19'4.25".
Day 1 updates as results are posted online through http://pennrelaysonline.com as well as flashresults.com