PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (April 26, 2009)-Several members of the Morgan State men’s and women’s track and field team, spent the weekend competing in the 115th running of The Penn Relays, held at Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
Morgan State’s women’s 4X400 meter relay team, which last season captured gold in the ECAC Section of the Penn Relays, ranked 29th overall in the college section this season. The team comprised of Tanisha Kendrick, Jamia Robinson, Avionne Sloan and Kamice Smalls finished in a time of 3:50.07, due to unfortunate circumstances.
According to assistant coach Ralph Jones, the Lady Bears were battling for the lead on the second leg. A Texas Christian runner handed off just before Morgan State and then stopped and crouched down on the track. As Morgan’s Avionne Sloan turned around, she fell right over the TCU runner. Sloan would get up and catch three people. However, the damage would be done, as it put Morgan out of a possible running in the Championship of American section.
Other Lady Bears to place were Lauren Campbell and Kamice Smalls in the 400 meter hurdles championship section. Campbell finished 50th in a time of 1:05.14, while Smalls was 54th in a time of 1:05.86.
James Blocker had a good showing for the men, as he placed seventh in the championship section of the high jump at a height of 6-11.5. The Bears’ 4X400 meter relay team of Jordan Higgs, Kevin Bowen, Issac Richardson and Carbinere Whyte ran a time of 3:16.23 to finish 45th.
Morgan State’s Britney Wattley spent her weekend competing at the Lions Invitational hosted by the College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. Wattley placed fourth in the 100 meter dash in a time of 12.42 and finished sixth in the 200 meter dash at 26.01.
The Bears and Lady Bears will now focus on the upcoming Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships (May 1-3), which after two years at Morgan State’s Hughes Stadium, have returned to Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T.