Penn Relays Rematch In January

If you can't wait until Penn Relays for your USA vs Jamaica, the VA Showcase has your fix this weekend. 

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Unlike most meets, the VA Showcase likes to get things going with a bang. That means starting the meet with the 4x400 rather than ending it. That's going to be the case this upcoming Friday when perennial powerhouses such as the Bullis School of Maryland and Hydel of Jamaica square off. 

Last April, it was an instant classic when these two went down to the line in the Championship of America 4x400 running 3:34.78 to 3:35.17. Both teams breaking the US National Record. 

At Penn Relays it was ultimately Hydel taking home the wheel but indoors it is a different monster. Instead of running in your own lane for the first 500m, it's just the first 150m. Add that with the tight turns and change in cadence and it becomes a whole new race. 

Hydel is led by Abigail Campbell who is the Jamaican national champion over 400m having run 52.27 last year and on top that she was the national runner-up (Class 1) for the 800 as well. Likely their next best runner is Nastassia Fletcher who split 53.5 last year at Penn and ran 53.91 to finish third at Jamaican Champs. 

There are four others vying for those next two spots and strategy will dictate who Coach Bennett ultimately selects. If he goes for a quicker lineup it could be someone like Shemonique Hazel who has run 11.66 in the 100 or if he focuses on stamina it could be Aaliyah Mullings who has run 58.96 for 400mH. 

Hydel has options and so does Bullis. 

Bullis would ultimately run 3:32.29 at New Balance Nationals with the quartet of Tatum Lynn, Kennedy Brown, Payton Payne, and Morgan Rothwell. That quartet differed slightly from their Penn Relays group that featured Sydney Sutton instead of Payton Payne and was in a slightly different order. 

This is noteworthy considering Bullis ran 3:32 without their 52.5 split from Penn! 

This weekend is going to be fun. Indoor 4x2's and 4x4's are just better... well at least better for the fans. 

Both teams are coming for the win and that win could lead to bragging rights and most importantly, the meet record which is also the U20 world record of 3:37.63 set by Montverde Academy (FL) just last year. 

Be sure to tune-in live Friday and Saturday to catch all the action from the Va Showcase live here on MileSplit.