La Salle wins Relays distance medley

One word described La Salle's distance medley relay team entering the Penn Relays: disrespected.

The Explorers felt disrespected because they weren't considered among the favorites, and because, even though they placed in the top three at last year's event, they didn't appear in the Penn Relays website's race preview.

The Explorers took those emotions and an underdog mentality into Friday and shocked the field, winning the Championship of America in 10 minutes, 4.93 seconds.

"It feels so good to win for all those people who doubted us," La Salle's Levi Hardy said. "This is just an amazing moment."

Hardy ran the opening 400-meter leg in 50.5 seconds to help La Salle stay in the pack, but the Explorers still trailed Northport (N.Y.), Christian Brothers (N.J.), and Cardinal O'Hara after the first handoff.

Jack Magee (800) and Andrew Stone (1,200) kept pace with the field for the two middle legs as La Salle continued to maintain its fourth-place standing.

Their performances allowed anchor Tom Coyle (1,600) to have a chance entering the final four laps of the race.

"I was really focusing on my form and staying calm," Coyle said. "With 150 to go, I just had a little kick, and it's worked for me in the past, and it worked today."

Coyle pushed away from the pack in the final meters, and La Salle won the event by .54 of a second.

"We were the eight seed, and the preview listed eight teams and skipped right over us," La Salle coach Greg Bielecki said. "We knew we had to go out and do it, and we knew that we were going to have to run to do it."

Harriton's champ. In the first few minutes of the boys' 3,000-meter championship, Harriton's Max Norris didn't look like a prime contender.

After a slow start, Norris was running in the back of the pack for the first half of the race, but he never gave up. He pushed his way up - first into the top 10, then the top five, and eventually into the lead.

Norris went on to hold off the pack, and won the event in 8:25.62.

"I did a really good job of not wimping out," Norris said. "It came down to the final lap, and I was able to become like Usain Bolt in the final 200."

A year ago, Norris never could have dreamed of the Penn Relays stage.

A serious injury to his adductor muscle (leg) had threatened his career, so much so that he wasn't sure he would compete again. His past made the win that much sweeter.

"I just figured instead of thinking, 'This isn't my day,' I just figured that I've been through so much to get back as a senior, I shouldn't waste this opportunity," Norris said. "This was the best race of my life."

Panthers place second. Racing against some of the top teams from Jamaica can be a tough mentally and physically.

It didn't faze Cheltenham.

As the third seed, the Panthers finished second in the small-school 4x100 relay in 47.44 seconds.

"It feels really good," sprinter Janiel Slowly said. "We've had some difficulties with our stick work, so for it all to come together and culminate in a second place with a very good time, it feels good."

On the final stretch, Cheltenham edged Kings Ford (Va.) by .02 of a second and St. Elizabeth Tech (Jamaica) by .09.

"We knew we could place high," Kayla Coley said. "It was an honor competing against Jamaica and it was really tight, but it was fun."

Jamaica's Manchester won the event in 47.09.

Patriot pride. With two freshmen and two sophomores on the team, Great Valley was at a significant disadvantage entering the girls' 4x800 Championship of America.

Overcoming their lack of experience in an extremely deep field, the Patriots placed fifth in 9:10.09.

Starting and finishing with freshmen Crosby Speiss and Elisa Claffey, respectively, Great Valley stayed in the middle of the pack for most of the race until a late push helped propel the Patriots into the top five.

Speiss's 2:17.20 opening leg gave the Patriots confidence, and the team appeared to build off her momentum.

"I went all out," Speiss said. "I just wanted to finish strong."

Sophomores Tabitha Wismer and Anna Willig also ran on the relay.

Columbia (N.J.) won the championship in 8:56.37.