Chatham boys 4x800, Morristown girls 4x100 advance to Penn Relays finals

Chatham senior Sam Ellis' first experience of Penn Relays was both exhilarating and nervewracking.

The Cougars boys 4x800 was one of the first teams on the Franklin Field track on Friday morning, the first time at the prestigious track and field carnival for all four of the runners: junior Charlie Henne, Ellis, senior Aidan Johnson and junior anchor Ryan Beegle.

After winning their small-school heat in a season-best 8:01.45, they had a long, anxious wait to see if they'd qualify for the Championship of America final.

As the fourth 4x8 heat took to the track, the Chatham runners were literally counting the remaining places on their fingers.

Not only did the Cougars advance, they broke the school record with a 7:54.33 to place ninth in Saturday's final. They had been the 10th seed out of 14 teams.

Top qualifier Jamaica College of Kingston won in 7:28.38.

"It was amazing. It was kind of breathtaking," said Ellis, who ran the second leg. "We didn't get too much time to let it settle in, since we were the first race and they were trying to rush us on. You take a second to look around, and it's a huge stadium and tons of people cheering us on. It's a little different from one of the Morris County relay meets for sure."

♦ Delbarton junior twins Collin and Brian Boler both competed at Penn Relays on Friday afternoon. Collin Boler finished sixth in the sixth in the mile (4:14.82). Brian Boler, who is two minutes older, placed 11th in the 3,000 meters (8:43.11) after being seeded 24th.

Morristown, Mendham make history

Three years ago, Jordan Robinson competed at Penn Relays. She was a freshman at Morristown High School, trying to enjoy the chaotic experience of the prestigious track and field carnival.

After a two-year pause due to COVID, Robinson and the Colonials made an impact at Penn Relays. The Morristown girls 4x100 broke the school record, finishing in 49.9 seconds to qualify for the Northeast final on Friday afternoon.

Even veteran coach Gordon Drewery was surprised, and unsure what to do next. The Colonials handled everything, lowering the school record to 49.41 while placing fifth in their final.

Edwin Allen of Clarendon, Jamaica was the Championship of America 4x100 winner in a Penn Relays record of 43.18.

Not to be outdone, Morristown's 4x400 won its heat in 4:00.38 to bring home a miniature Penn Relays "wagon wheel" trophy.

Mendham – seniors Julianna Marran and Grace Higgins, freshman Violet Sloan and sophomore Anna Shaw – repeated the feat in the very next heat, crossing the line first in 4:05.81 to earn the fifth wagon wheel in coach Roy Hamblen's tenure.

The Minutemen hadn't won their 4x400 heat since 2017, following a string of three in a row from 2013 to 2015.

"When they come down to Penn, they run well," Hamblen said. "It kicks off the championship season. Now, I think they believe in how well they can do."

Mendham also competed in a blustery small-school heat of the 4x800, finishing sixth in a disappointing 9:41.92 – 18th overall. Union Catholic led the field in 9:13.08.

Robinson anchored the 4x100 behind Simon, Jobella Estiverne, and Aaliyah Murphy. She also led off the 4x400 in 57.92, followed by Nia Freeman, Claire Annuik and Murphy (58.23).

Edwin Allen of Clarendon, Jamaica was the Championship of America winner in a Penn Relays record of 43.18.

"We were a little new to the game, figuring out where to go," said Robinson, who has verbally committed to UCLA, where she plans to study molecular cell and developmental biology.

"It's such a surreal experience. It's going to be our last time at Penn, and we succeeded. ... It feels completely different. I'm so happy I was able to do it with all my best friends."

Outstanding in the field

♦ Delbarton senior Jeffrey Cianfrocca was one of three athletes to clear 6-foot-4 in the Championship high jump on Friday morning. He finished fourth, because he was clear until his final height of 6-5.

"I'm so excited, I can't even explain it," said Cianfrocca, a Long Valley resident who signed a National Letter of Intent with Bucknell.

"Being here at one of the biggest track events there is, really, being a part of the competition too, is really cool to experience. ... The energy is so much different here, to know you're competing at one of the most prestigious events there is. It feels so much cooler to be at a meet like this than almost any other meet."

♦ Mendham senior Melissa Aymil achieved her goal with a final throw of 40-2¼ to place seventh in the Championship shot put. Aymil, who has signed a National Letter of Intent with Rider University, had hoped to surpass 40 feet for the first time since finishing second at the indoor NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

Aymil is the first Mendham field athlete since Sarah Bella finished fourth in the shot put in 2008. Mendham's Sarah Hirskee won the inaugural Championship discus in 1999.

College corner

♦ Sophomore Ashley Struck of Jefferson anchored Lehigh's 4x100, which won the Eastern section in 46.95 seconds to advance to Saturday's final. Rebecca Kneppel of Butler, a freshman at Ramapo, anchored the final qualifier — which finished third in the Eastern championship on Sunday.

♦ Villanova sophomore Jack Jennings, a former Morris County cross country champion at Mendham, finished 13th in the 5,000 meters in 14:00.51, a 13-second personal best.

♦ Freshman Madison Latimer of Newton ran the 400-meter leg on Monmouth's third-place distance medley. Senior Karly Forker of Roxbury ran the leadoff 1,200-meter leg of Bucknell's fifth-place DMR.

♦ Morris Hills alumna Laura Mathews led off and Whippany Park grad Gina Dello Russo anchored (56.33) as Stevens Tech finished second in a school-record 3:59.61 in the Centennial/MAC 4x400. Whippany Park grad Maria Grill was part of two record-setting The College of New Jersey relays. Grill ran the third leg of the 4x200 (1:40.47) and the 4x400 (3:56.44), following freshman Eliza Bruncaj from East Hanover.

Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.

Want to share your story with me?

Email: JHavsy@gannett.com Twitter: @dailyrecordspts

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Penn Relays 2022: Morristown, Mendham girls 4x400s, Chatham boys 4x800