St. Malachy boys - San Lorenzo Valley girls - and a lot of Jamaicans

by John Dye

It's the relays, stupid.  To paraphrase candidate Clinton's 1992 political strategist, look to the relay events for the high school action at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The best US milers of the season--Alejandra Barrientos and Alan Webb--will be there, but they will be running for their relay teams.  (You can't do both DMR and the open mile at Penn.)

It's the relays anyway that get the juices flowing at Penn, that turn 40,000 fans into a flag waving frenzy, that crank up the "W-O-O-O-O-O" quotient to a perfect 10.  To the champions goes a victory lap, proudly waving their country's flag.  

The international competition brings out the passions.  There are always the Jamaicans, with their stadium rattling 5,000 followers, and this year there are also the Irish.  

So let's look at what to expect.  High School only, please, this is DyeStat.

The highlight of the girls events, and perhaps the entire meet, is the distance medley at 5:40 pm Thursday.  TheSan Lorenzo Valley CA Cougars (Felton CA, not San Lorenzo) are on the prowl for one of the longest standing US records (11:43.53 by the great Irvine CA University team in 1982). They could get this and not get the Penn Relays record, which is 3 seconds better (11:40.51, Vere Tech, Jamaica, 1992).

Cougar coach Rob Collins has done wonders in 2 years at San Lorenzo Valley. In 1999, jr Alejandra Barrientos burst on the scene with a startling stretch-kicking win at the Arcadia Invitational 1600 meters, which she validated by winning the California state 1600 championship and the US Junior National 1500 meter championship. This year she is the leading 1600m (4:46.6) and 800m (2:09.35) female runner in the US. 

Now, Collins has developed depth with a bevy of talented girls to go with Barrientos.  SLV currently has 8 girls running the 800 meters under 2:30 and five under 2:20.  The four that run the distance medley (1600m anchor Ale Barrientos, freshman sister Raquel Barrientos at 1200 meters, Lindsay Scharborough at 400m, and Shiloh Whiting at 800m)  have the US#1 time of 11:55.68, and that included a 1600-meter time for Ale Barrientos that is 10 seconds slower than her best (she ran the DMR at the Arcadia Invitational April 8 two hours after winning the open 1600 in US#1 time). SLV's Arcadia time is 15-25 seconds better than the next best teams in this race:Conestoga PA, Middletown MD (with another sister act, Randy and Emily Buzzell), Villa Maria PA, andHaddonfield NJ (with 1999 US outdoor mile champion Erin Donohue), . Other teams who could get an announcer's call are perennial power Manchester Central NH, Warwick Valley NY, and Lake Braddock VA.

The Cougar girls with the flaming red singlets can get the record without running their personal bests.  And if they don't get it now they have plenty of time -- none of them are seniors. 

The boys distance medley at 5:10 pm Friday will feature St. Malachy, the pride of Belfast, Ireland, who ran a Penn Relays record 9:59.84 in winning the 1999 edition.  The US indoor record setting Gloucester MA team (9:59.94 at the National Scholastic Indoor in New York in March) is not entered.  So the task of picking up US pride falls to teams like Cardinal O'Hara PA, St. Anthony's NY, Christian Brothers Academy NJ, Bishop Loughlin NY, and the Alan Webb-led South Lakes VA -- solid teams, but not likely to topple St. Malachy.

Other Relays

Girls 4x100

Vere Technical of Jamaica has won four years in a row and is favored to make it five.  They just won the Jamaican championships in 45.37, which is slightly better than their winning  time at Penn last year.  But before it's over, they will have to put down Berkeley CA.  Coach Soupie B's talented girls were US national champs last year at San Lorenzo CA and have won everything in sight this year in California -- Stanford, Arcadia, and Oakland relays.  Their best is 46.42.  Another possible contender  is Largo MD, who are unbeaten this year in the East, with a best of 46.8.

Boys 4x100

The crown should return to Jamaica for the 8th time in 11 years (Potomac VA won last year).  The top five finishers in the Jamaica championships are here, headed by Wolmer's Boys 41.19 and Jamaica College 41.22.  The leading US teams (read Texas) are not entered, leaving Suitland MD 41.5 US#14 as the highest ranking US team on hand.  

Girls 4x400

US girls have won this event 4 of the last 5 years, ending Vere Tech's string of 9 straight years for Jamaica.  This year may be Jamaica's turn again as Holmwood Technical won their country's championship in a blistering 3:37.05.  That is US record territory and the US record holder (Long Beach CA Wilson) is not entered.  Best US hopes for the finals are Menchvlle VA 3:47.33 US#6, Berkeley CA 3:47.5 US#7, Long Beach Poly CA 3:51.02 US#12, and Largo MD 3:53.14 US#19.  After Holmwood, Jamaica brings the rest of their top teams including St. Jago 3:40.56 in the Jamaican championship and Vere Tech 3:42.13.

Boys 4x400

The top 7 Jamaican championship teams are entered, and they have some frightening times: Munro College 3:10.73, Jamaica College 3:11.95, St. Jago 3:12.40, Wolmer's Boys 3:14.83, and Kingston College 3:15.29.  All of these times are better than the best US teams entered, Long Beach Poly CA 3:15.63 US#4 and Heritage VA 3:16.29 US#7.  The US has won 3 of the last 4 years, but don't have anyone this year in the class of Northwestern MD and Pasadena CA Muir.  

Girls 4x800

It has been 15 years since a US team won this race (State College PA 1985).  Since then 14 Jamaican teams have walked away with the title; they hold every position on the Franklin Field top 10 all time list.  

US outdoor times have not come down yet.  Leader Long Beach CA Wilson 9:17.44 is not entered, but US#2 Villa Maria PA 9:22.3 is, along with indoor leaders Boys & Girls NY 9:07.56 and William Penn PA 9:08.  Top Jamaican teams on entry times are Edwin Allen 9:08 and St. Jago 9:10.

Boys 4x800

Tough event to analyze.  None of the 2000 outdoor DyeStat Elite teams (under 8:00) are entered.  Based on entry times and 2000 indoor times, here are the leading contenders:  Cherokee NJ 7:51.87; Gates Chili NY 7:54.33; Calabar JAM 7:54.56; St. Jago JAM 7:54.5; John F. Kennedy NY 7:55.11; and Jamaica College JAM 7:55.6.  St. Malachy IRELAND is entered with a 8:04 mark, which may be conservative.  

Jamaica won this race 11 straight years until W. Springfield VA and Boys & Girls NY won in 1997-98.  Then Jamaica College returned the title to Jamaica last year.  

DyeStat will be on-site, of course, with results, highlights, photos, and Donna on the Side.