The Penn Relays will have some of the best high school teams from California, North Carolina, Jamaica, Zimbabwe and the Bahamas. The country’s long time track and field carnival will have a number of outstanding local high school teams and athletes competing at Franklin Field on Thursday, April 26, Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28.

Swenson has one of the best Public League track and field programs. The girls should be well represented at the Penn Relays. Swenson has a fine 4x400 meter relay team. The school has five terrific sprinters with Tichina Rhodes, Amani Nesmith, Imani Harris-Quillen, Jamila Davis and Amy Hicks.

“We have some real good kids on the relay teams,” said Dean Lent, Swenson head coach. “They’ve been running pretty well. We won the indoor state meet. It was a big jump up for all of them. They all did well during the indoor season. Hopefully, everything will carry over into the outdoor season.”

Several of these athletes also participate on Swenson’s 4x100-meter relay team. The school won the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays at the Jack Armstrong Invitational in Abington. In the 4x100 meter relay, Swenson finished with a winning time of 48.18. In the 4x400 meter relay, they captured first place in this event with a time of 3:55.15.

Swenson has a pretty solid boys’ 4x100-meter relay team. The team includes Tyrief Melfah, Jay Hardy, Haneef Hardy and Niager Mathis. They won the 4x100-meter relay at the Jack Armstrong Invitational.

Paul Robeson has a solid 4x400-meter relay team. They have a number of great athletes such as Quadaisha Newkirk, Erin Allen, Braxton Spriggs, Mercedes Johnson and Kevia DeLorme.

Ceaira Brown, Overbrook High’s 800 meter runner, will be one of the featured scholastic runners. Brown won the 800 meters at the Jack Armstrong Invitational with a time of 2:17.16.

Jadia Steward, West Catholic’s brilliant sprinter, won first place in the 100 meters at the same meet with a time of 12.10. Steward also won the 200 meters with a time of 25.14.

Eric Futch, Penn Wood High star, is one of the top sprinters in the Philadelphia area. Futch recently won the 400 meters and 300 meter hurdles at the invitational meet. He clocked a 48.92 and a 37.15 respectively.

It should be an interesting three days of track and field at Franklin Field.

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .