Former Villanova athletes Lipari, Reid return to Franklin Field

Emily Lipari starred at the Penn Relays the last two seasons for Villanova, twice winning the award for outstanding women's relay athlete while anchoring five victorious relay teams with the Wildcats.

However, there she was Saturday at Franklin Field, now a professional athlete and not in the shape she was in when she competed for Villanova. But she was excited to be back for the Olympic Development women's mile, in which she finished third in 4 minutes, 39.68 seconds.

"This is like home for me, so I'm really pumped up to be here," she said. "It is different because I'm not in college anymore. I'm not sharp right now. I'm just getting out there and getting the feel of the Penn Relays again. I love this place."

Lipari's former 'Nova teammate Sheila Reid also was back, clocking 4:37.46 and finishing second behind winner Kerri Gallagher. She is trying to come back from injuries that have included tendinitis and three stress fractures.

"It's awesome to be back here at the Penn Relays," said Reid, whose last collegiate year was in 2012. "I haven't raced since August of 2013, so I've had a long time off, and this is how I wanted to start my comeback. It's not where I wanted it to be, but it can only go up from here."

Angel Piccirillo followed Lipari as an outstanding female relay athlete winner, recognized this weekend for her fine leadoff leg in the distance medley relay and terrific anchor leg in the 4x800, both won by the Wildcats.

Andrew Fisher, the leadoff man for University of Technology's championship 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, was recognized as the outstanding male relay athlete.

Individual honors in college events went to John Ampomah of Middle Tennessee, who threw the javelin 267 feet, 6 inches - two inches short of the carnival record - on Saturday, and Providence's Emily Sisson, who won Thursday's 3,000-meter run in 9:09.12, the fifth-fastest time at the relays.

Rodney Brown of Louisiana State broke his own carnival record in the college men's discus when he heaved the disc 213-4. He topped his old mark of 210-9 established last year.

Also in the field, NCAA champion Marquis Dendy of Florida won the long jump with a leap of 54-41/2, tied for the ninth-best mark all-time at Penn. Dendy won two triple-jump titles while at Middletown (Del.) High School, and this was his first time back since then.

"It feels really good coming back in my last year of college and end it here on a good note," he said.

Clemson's Tevin Hester tied the second-best mark of all-time in the college men's 100, winning in 10.14 seconds. - Joe Juliano