Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Richard Gaster Chaunte Howard of Georgia Tech participates in the college women's high jump at the Penn Relays in spring 2003. [Click to enlarge]

Speed, strength and endurance are on full display this weekend during the finals of the 114th annual Penn Relays.

Penn Relays, America's premiere track and field event of the early outdoor season, invited qualifying teams from 950 high schools and 250 colleges worldwide this year, along with professionals from some of the world's top track clubs.

Many Olympic hopefuls for this summer's games in Beijing will compete over the weekend, but despite the Olympic-like aura surrounding the relays, Director Dave Johnson does not consider the event to have a correlation to the Olympics.

"It's a meet unto itself, but I wouldn't call it a precursor [to the Olympics]," Johnson, in his 13th year as director, said. "People from all over flock to it because it's an event unique to this country, and for many people from the Penn community, it's like a second homecoming."

The Penn Relays started in 1895 as the first event to take place on the then newly-created Franklin Field. The first international teams began competing in 1914, and it has grown steadily since then to become the spectacle it is today.

High-school teams from Canada, Kenya, England and Jamaica make up much of the international presence at the event, and those teams will compete against American athletes at the high school level.

College freshman Darryl Oliver, a middle distance runner for the men's team, is excited for the competition this weekend. He believes he and his teammates will do well after showing promising signs during the winter season.

"This year we look very solid, especially the middle distance," Oliver said. "I hope teams brought their Pepto-Bismol, ice packs and plenty of I.V. fluid because I think it's going to be one of those types of weekends."

"The Distance Medley Relay is the race to watch," Shaunee Morgan, a college senior whose distance medley team placed seventh in the NCAA championships this past indoor season, added. "We definitely have a good shot," she said. "We're just gonna bring the speed."

In addition to the track and field events, the weekend is a huge economic boost for dozens of vendors, local businesses and the University. A plethora of activities will take place during today and tomorrow's events, many of which will continue late into the evening as part of Philadelphia's night life.

"In terms of sporting events in Philadelphia, it's certainly one of the oldest," Johnson said. "The event has always meant a lot to the city. There's just so much to do."

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