Penn Relays get started at Franklin Field

5:35 p.m. – The red-hatted race official rang the bell just short of the finish line. There was one more rap to go and Villanova's quest for a third-straight women's Distance Medley Relay was in sight.

At the end of that final lap – just near the spot where the bell had rung– Villanova's Emily Lipari pulled away with a furious charge. She crossed the finish line with her hands raised, the Stanford runner just to her rear. Villanova won with a mark of 10:57.35. Stanford finished in 10:57.64.

Lipari ran the final 1,600 meters in 4:33.45. Stephanie Schappert opened the race and ran 1,200 meters in 3:25. Michaela Wilkins then ran the 400 in 54.40 seconds and Nicky Akande ran the 800 meters in 2:04.51. - Matt Breen

5:22 p.m. – Taylor Dallas crouched down and waived her teammate to come forward. The third-leg of Neumann-Goretti's 4x400 relay was anxious to receive the baton from Braxton Springs. And there was good reason why.

Dallas increased the Saints lead with a swift lap around the Franklin Field track en route to cruising to a first-place finish in the Catholic League 4x400. Ariana Ruffin tacked on the anchor leg and the Saints finished in 3:59.25, more than four seconds faster than Cardinal O'Hara. Siani Jackson ran the first leg.

The Saints matched their black-and-white camouflage shorts with pink spikes. They looked the part of a top team and matched it on the track. – Matt Breen

5:10 p.m. - All signs point to a dynamic race in Friday's women's 4x100-meter relay Championship of America.

Five teams broke 45 seconds for the distance while battling windy conditions Thursday at Franklin Field. Texas A&M, seeking its sixth consecutive championship in the event, lead all teams with a time of 44.09 seconds.

Oregon, which last weekend clocked 43.31 seconds in the 4x100 -- tying the fastest time in the world in 2014 -- at Mount San Antonio College in California, came in with the second-fastest time, 44.30.

Coming in right behind the Ducks were UTech (44.56), Texas (44.68) and Louisiana State (44.80). The Tigers have won this event 12 times at the carnival. - Joe Juliano

4:16 p.m. - Two area girls had strong showings in the field events.

Central Bucks South's Taylor Hojnacki finished third in the girls' discus with a mark of 44.69 meters. Avon Grove's Moriah Fitzgerald finished fifth in the girls' pole vault with a mark of 3.65 meters. - Matt Breen

2:31 p.m. – Cheltenham finished in fourth place among large schools in the girls' 4x100 and qualified for Friday's championship final.The team of Ciara Leonard, Janiel Slowly, Chanel Brissett and Katelyn Jackson finished in 47.17 seconds. Edwin Allen of Jamacia finished in first in 45.66 seconds. – Matt Breen

12:20 p.m. – Former Abington High School star Leah Nugent, now competing for Kentucky, finished seventh Thursday in the college women's 400-meter hurdles, the opening track event of the Penn Relays.

Nugent raced in the seeded second heat and took fifth. After all the heats were run, she wound up with the seventh-fastest time, 59.10 seconds.

The race was won by Samantha Elliott of Johnson C. Smith in 56.63 seconds. It marked her second straight victory in the event.

Nugent, who won the high school 400 hurdles at the 2010 Penn Relays, is in her first year of competing at Kentucky after transferring there from Virginia Tech. – Joe Juliano

11:16 a.m. – Great Valley and Central Bucks South have both advanced to Friday's championship final of the girls' 4x800 relay.

Strath Haven, Central Bucks West and Pennsbury also qualified.

Great Valley (9:11.26) finished with the second best time out of the four heats. South (9:12.57) finished in fourth place. The 12 fastest teams qualify for the final. Jamacia's Edwin Allen (9:09.23) was the fastest. – Matt Breen

10:50 am – Great Valley girls' won its heat of the 4x800 and should have a good enough time to qualify for Friday's championship final. The Patriots (9:11.26) were anchored by Elise Claffey. Crosby Spiess, Anna Willig and Tabitha Wismer ran the other three legs. Strath Haven (9:16.99) finished in second.

The twelve fastest teams from the four 4x800 heats qualify for the final. – Matt Breen

9:55 a.m. The Penn Relays are underway at Franklin Field. The college women's 400 meter hurdles championship started the event just after 9:45 a.m.

At 10:20, Winslow's Torie Robinson will be the second seed in the high school girls' 400 hurdles championship. Thalia Cooper (Kingsway), Holly Sullivan (Owen J. Roberts), Markeetha Thomas (Paul Robeson) and Brooklyn Broadwater (Springside Chesnut Hill) are also in the race. – Matt Breen