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The 115th running of the Penn Relays treated the University of Maine well last April.
The prestige surrounding the nation’s oldest and largest track and field competition pushed the women’s 4×400-meter relay team to become the first contingent of Black Bears to compete in a Penn Relay final, where they set the existing record in the event at 3:44.73. In addition, it pushed then-freshman Riley Masters to a seventh place finish in the 5,000-meter run, where his 14:23.25 finish also set a record and gave the rest of the country their first glimpse at the makings of an All-American.
One year later, Masters will return to the 5,000-meter race, where the nation’s top collegiate competition is likely to push him to another memorable performance. It will come one week before the 2009 Conference Rookie of the Meet defends his 5,000-meter crown at the America East championships in Durham, N.H.
In addition to Masters, junior pole vaulter James Berry will compete individually. Berry has struggled in recent weeks, recording no height at UMaine’s home meet and again last weekend at Holy Cross. Berry holds the university record at 15-09.
Collectively, Black Bear sprinters will be on display in the 4×200- and 4×400-meter relays. At last year’s event, no men’s relays were registered.
The Black Bear women have registered several formidable relays, although the 4×400-meter record they put up last year will remain safe for one more week. UMaine will forego the event to showcase their red-hot sprinters in the 4×100 – and 4×200-meter relays. For good measure, UMaine has registered 4×800 and distance medley teams as well.
Three individual female performers will also get a chance to show what they’ve got on the national stage. Sophomore Jessica Bond and senior Alli Krous will compete in the College Women’s javelin throw, while junior Allie Conner will compete in the Olympic Development 5,000-meter run.
“I don’t think it has really sunk in yet that I will be running with such an elite crowd at Penns,” Conner said. “The only thing I am focusing on is making sure I get out with the middle group and work my way up as much as I can to run a PR.”
“This race is going to be very different because they are only doing one heat and there are, like, 50 girls,” Conner added.
Both teams will look to add to the good news they’ve received in the past few days. Sophomore Jesse Labreck earned the conference’s Female Track Performer of the Week for her record-setting heptathlon. Freshman Jamie Ruginski, for his matching victories in the long and triple jumps last weekend, was the conference’s pick for Male Field Performer of the Week a week and a half before all nine teams gather to sort out the final America East standings.
The women’s team may have a legitimate chance to earn a spot on the podium. The Black Bears found themselves ranked seventh in the Northeast according to polls released by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association. That ranking tops the conference. The Penn Relays began on Tuesday with the decathlon and heptathlon. All other events begin Thursday at 10 a.m.
