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Short of a record, UNC’s Shippee captures hammer throw at Penn Relays

The Tar Heels' graduate student unfurled a throw of 228 feet, 10 inches, 3 inches shy of the record.

Saratoga Springs' Emily Bush (right) is greeted by teammates after they won the high school girls Distance Medley Championship of America at the 2022 Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Phila., Pa. on April 28, 2022.
Saratoga Springs' Emily Bush (right) is greeted by teammates after they won the high school girls Distance Medley Championship of America at the 2022 Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Phila., Pa. on April 28, 2022.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

Jillian Shippee of North Carolina fell inches short of the Penn Relays record for the college women’s hammer throw in capturing the event Thursday at the 126th carnival.

Shippee, a graduate student, unfurled a throw of 228 feet, 10 inches, 3 inches short of the record of 229-1 set in 2004 by Candice Scott of Florida.

Redshirt senior Madi Malone of Auburn also took a run at the record before settling for second at 228-6. Penn senior Mayyi Malone took third at 208-10.

In the men’s hammer, Penn State senior Tyler Merkley won with a heave of 226-9. The four contestants behind him all threw more than 220 feet, with Indiana’s Sean Mockler (225-4) finishing second and Auburn’s Kyle Brown (224-11) third.

Quivell Jordan of Houston lowered his season-best time in the college men’s 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line first in 49.63 seconds. Jessica Wright of Howard won the college women’s 400 hurdles in 57.33.

AJ Ernst of Providence held off a surge by Penn’s James Lee and won the college men’s 1,500 meters in 3 minutes, 46.01 seconds. Sarah Hendrick of Kennesaw State took the women’s 1,500 in 4:16.68.

The college women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase championship went to BYU’s Lexy Halladay, who covered the distance in 9:59.27.

High School Qualifying

High school girls qualifying in the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800-meter relays occupied much of the day Thursday and a pair of Jamaican teams, Edwin Allen and Holmwood Tech, advanced to Friday’s Championship of America race in all three events.

Edwin Allen qualified first in the 4x100 (44.64 seconds) and second in the 4x800 (9:13.89). Hydel High School of Jamaica led all qualifiers in the 4x400 in 3:39.34, and was second in the 4x100 at 46.37.

Local schools to advance to the Championship of America races were Clayton (N.J.) with a time of 3:47.39 in the 4x400, and Cherokee (9:21.19), Penn Charter (9:26.88) and Penncrest (9:30.76) in the 4x800.

The featured high school girls distance races were won by Juliette Whittaker of Mount de Sales (Md.), taking the mile run in 4:41.18, and Angelina Perez of Lakeland Regional (N.J.), capturing the 3,000 in 9:18.11. Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) rolled to victory in the distance medley relay in 11:43.26.