University of Tennessee Athletics
Penn Relays On Docket For Track and Field Vols
April 26, 2005 | Men's Track
April 26, 2005
Tennessee travels north to Philadelphia, Pa., to compete Thursday through Saturday at the 111th Penn Relays, one of most revered and exciting meets in track and field. The Volunteers will focus primarily on the relays, though Tennessee is also slated to contest some distance, sprints, hurdles, jumps and throwing events.
In a meet and city brimming with history and tradition, one of the highest honors will be bestowed on Tennessee head coach Bill Webb. Webb was selected as the honorary college men's referee for 2005. He will be introduced to the boisterous crowd at Franklin Field Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
"The University of Tennessee has a rich tradition at the Penn Relays," Webb said. "We're going in with strong groups in the 4x100 relay, shuttle hurdle relay and sprint medley relay. We're also competing in other events. The weightmen haven't gone to Penn in the last few years, but we're looking for good competition for them. We hope the weather will hold up, and we get good competition. It's a great place for a track meet when the weather's good."
Tennesseans have won 66 events at the Penn Relays since Martin Korik won the pole vault with a 13-feet clearance in 1949. Factoring in just relay titles, Tennessee has won 29 Penn Relay championships since 1966, the third-best total of any school in that time period. The Volunteers have contributed so many great performances to the story of the Penn Relays over the years that Tennessee is one of the few schools to enjoy the privilege of having its orange and white flag fly annually atop Franklin Field.
At Tennessee, Southeastern Conference and NCAA championships take precedence over the rest of the schedule. However, outside of the championship portion of the schedule, no indoor or outdoor meet gets the competitive fires raging like the Penn Relays for the Volunteers. At schools across the nation and indeed the world, track and field competitors circled April 28-30 on their 2005 calendars to take part in the Penn Relays.
The 2005 Penn Relay Carnival, the 111th running of the world's largest three-day track and field meet, boasts competitors ranging from fourth graders to Olympians to 75-year-old sprinters and every mix in between. Meet organizers expect 241 colleges from 34 states and three other nations to compete this week. Additionally, 924 high schools from 17 states and seven other countries, including 29 schools from Jamaica and their passionate fans, arrive in Philadelphia for the Penn Relays.
The Volunteers open the meet Thursday night in the traditional distance carnival. Zach Sabatino, Tyler DeVault, Jeff Day and Doug Brown race in the steeplechase. At 9:40 p.m. Thursday, Chris Platt and Ben Lukowski contest the 5,000 meters. Matt Piccarello bookends Thursday with a 10:55 p.m. race in the 10,000.
Four field events feature Vols Friday. Drew Brunson and Chris Wilson compete in the high jump. Garland Porter and Josh Whisman throw the shot. Jim Sexton contests the discus. Eric Pierce is entered in the long jump.
Relay action also heats up for the Vols on the track Friday. The shuttle hurdle relay, distance medley relay and sprint medley relay finals take place Friday afternoon and evening. The prelims for the 4x100 relay also occur Friday. In individual competition, Matthieu Pritchett races the 100 prelims. Robert Boulware, Drew Brunson and Cade Liverman contest the 110 hurdles prelims. Jeremy Burton competes in the 400 hurdles.
On Saturday, Pierce opens the day in the triple jump. Porter, Whisman and Sexton are entered in the hammer throw. Tennessee plans on racing the 4xmile relay. If the Vols advance from Friday's prelims, finals in the 100, 110 hurdles and 4x100 relay will be held Saturday. The Tennesseans wrap up the 2005 Penn Relays with an appearance in the 4x800 relay.
The excitement surrounding the Penn Relays has grown even more intense since USA Track and Field added the "USA vs. The World" relay component to the schedule. Not unlike the Olympics, the sport's most elite performers don their nation's colors and compete in the showdown. Once again, the Tennesseans have a rooting interest in the event as former Vols Justin Gatlin and Leonard Scott have been added to the 4x100 relay pool. Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the 100, and Shawn Crawford, the 2004 gold medalist in the 200, have signed on for inclusion into the relay pool. In addition to Gatlin, Crawford and Scott, Team USA has stockpiled Coby Miller, Darvis Patton, J.J. Johnson, Marcus Brunson and Mardy Scales into the 4x100 relay pool. Officials will pick four of the above to pass the stick for Team USA in the most volatile relay of them all, the 4x100.
Adding to the excitement, Great Britain will be making the trip across the pond for a rematch of the 2004 Olympic 4x100 relay final. Great Britain nipped the Americans by a mere one-hundredth of a second to take the gold. The U.S. quartet settled for silver after rough stickwork proved costly. Two members of Great Britain's gold-medal winning unit suit up for the rematch.
