South’s Rancan fifth in mile run at Penn Relays
PHILADELPHIA >> In her final Penn Relays appearance as a high schooler, Christina Rancan was running alone.
Rancan, a senior, has run the annual track and field carnival before, but always as part of a relay team. This time, however, she was solo in the mile run.
On a damp and dreary night at Franklin Field, Rancan came up with a nice final kick to finish fifth in the 14-runner field in a time of 4:56.21.
“I was super motivated because there were so many girls on my team who stayed here all day in the cold and rain to watch me run,” Rancan said. “I appreciate it so much, so I want to give them the best I could. I heard them all yelling for me as I was going on the last lap, so it definitely helped.”
Sammy Watson from Rush-Henrietta (N.Y.) took gold in a time 4:49.56 followed by Rachel McArthur of Patriot (Va.) was second in 4:50.80.
Rancan, the indoor state mile champ, was almost four seconds better than the next N.J. finisher (Ciara Roche, Freehold Twp., 4:58.07).
Conditions were difficult with rain pouring down during the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, leaving the track damp and temperatures dropping.
The mile runners also had to follow an historic performance by Weini Kelati of Heritage (Va.) — by way of Eritrea — in the 3,000 after she posted the fourth fastest time in Penn Relays history (9:19.91).
“All of us were watching and were super-excited for her, clapping for her,” Rancan said. “It was a really great thing to see. Congrats to here. It was amazing.”
Rancan, headed to the University of Pennsylvania, next year will has more Penn Relays in her future, but there is something special about the last one at South.
“It’s been different from the past just because I don’t have my teammates with me, which is like my favorite part of being in a relay race, being there with your friends,” Rancan said. “It’s a very different experience than I’ve had in the past, but I’m so thankful that I was able to come here today and it’s something I’ll remember forever.”
The Lawrence 4x100 team of Kelsey Holt, Mijah Collier, Cynthia Currie and Dominique Peters should feel confident as the track season ramps up.
That quartet won its heat in a time of 49.94 at the 122nd Penn Relays on Thursday at Franklin.
The Cardinals were the only CVC school to run under 50 seconds and were 11th fastest among New Jersey schools. They finished 43rd out of 252 large schools.
Sataya Gordon joined the Holt, Collier, Curry trio for the 4x400, which ran second in its heat with a mark of 4:04.76. Bishop McNamara of from Washington D.C. won the race in a time of 4:03.52.
Collier anchored in 59.82 as the Cards produced the second fastest time among CVC schools. The fastest? That went to Princeton’s team of Jordan Vine, Lou Mialhe, Jackie Patterson and Maia Hauschild. Both Patterson and Hauschild ran splits under one minute as the Little Tigers finished in 4:00.50.
Princeton was third in its heat narrowly behind South Brunswick (4:00.47) and Damascus of Maryland (4:00.07).
WW-P South won its heat in a time of 4:05.97 with the team of Seriah Barnes, Brianna Hodges, Bernadette Cao and Kathryn Schoenuaer.
In the triple jump, Robbinsville’s Bonvie Fosam placed 10th with a distance of 37-10.
By the time triple jump began, rain had begun to fall steadily, making conditions difficult.
Fosam was just under her top mark for the year of 39 feet, which she hit at the TCNJ Invitational.
South finished a disappointing 16th in its 18-school 4x800 heat in a time of 9:47.01. Kavaya Tummalapalli ran the top split among the four Pirate runners, turning in a 2:24.82 third leg.
Kelsey Kobus anchored in 2:26.49, passing two runners to avoid a last-place finish.
The top 12 times qualified for Friday’s Championship of America race, although New Jersey won’t be represented, having failed to produce a fast enough mark.
Westfield ran the top NJ time in 9:26.51.
The boys take the track on Saturday for their relays.
Robbinsville’s Zachary Michon will run the mile, while Nottigham’s Boaz Madeus (400 hurdles) and Trenton’s Semaj Willis (high jump) have to wait until Saturday. Premier Champions, Anthony Dirrell vs. Caleb Truax, super middleweights; Andre Dirrell vs. Blake Caparello, super middleweights, at Atlantic City: 9 p.m., SPIKE Texas Tech at TCU: 9 p.m., FS1 LPGA Tour, Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, second round, at Irving, Texas: Noon, GOLF PGA Tour, Zurich Classic, second round, at Avondale, La.: 3 p.m., GOLF Toronto at Tampa Bay: 7 p.m.,