April 26, 1997
PHILADELPHIA - For the fourth time in history, and the third time in the decade of the '90s, the Villanova women's track and field team earned three Championship of America titles at the Penn Relays. The Wildcat women posted first-place finishes in the distance medley relay, the 4x1500-meter relay, and the 4x800-meter relay at the 103rd Penn Relay Carnival held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on April 24-26, 1997.
The Wildcats began in fine fashion, capturing the DMR title in a run of 10:57.97 on April 24. Jurga Marcinkevicuite (So., Valnius, Lithuania) ran the leadoff leg, followed by Kesha Walley (Sr., Yeardon, Pa.), who put in a strong showing during the 400-meter portion of the race. Tamieka Grizzle (Fr., Bronx, N.Y.) sped through her 800-meter leg, and Krestena Sullivan (Sr., Kitchener, Ontario) anchored the first of three races for the Wildcats.
On Friday, the Wildcats next took the 4x1500-meter relay in a landslide (17:29.32). The foursome of Carmen Douma (Fr., Cambridge, Ontario), Kristine Jost (So., Baltimore, Md.), Carrie Tollefson (So., Dawson, Minn.), and Sullivan brought home the title. Tollefson ran the most impressive relay leg of her young career, running by the competition and giving Sullivan the baton with a 30-meter lead.
Entering the Penn Relays, head coach John Marshall had said, "If we win the DMR, we've got a great chance to win three." His statement came true on Saturday, as the Wildcats earned a sweep with their most exciting win of the Carnival in the 4x800-meter relay. Villanova won with a time of 8:27.66, but it was not without heroics from its senior anchor, Sullivan. Marcinkeviciute and Grizzle ran the first two legs, with Douma holding her own on the third. As soon as Sullivan took the baton, however, she was passed by Georgetown All-American Miesha Marzell. For most of the two laps, Marzell kept the lead, but on the last turn, Sullivan kicked and took the lead. She crossed the finish line with a smile on her face.
"Winning is contagious," Marshall said. "The 4x800 was definitely our toughest challenge, but we never thought we could lose. Georgetown looked better on paper, but we believed in ourselves. It took a lot of blood and guts to get this win, and these young ladies left it all out on the track."
Other Penn Relay sweeps for Villanova occurred in 1989, 1990 and 1995. Sullivan, meanwhile, was named Most Outstanding Performer of the meet, and earned her sixth career Penn Relay Championship of America title. She joined the ranks of former Wildcat greats Vicki Huber and Sonia O'Sullivan.
There were other impressive performances at the Relays as well. The Wildcat women's 4x400-meter relay team set a new ECAC record at Penn with a run of 3:37.76 in the championship on April 26. The record-setting foursome was comprised of Kia Davis (Jr., Chester, Pa.), Leashia Rahr (Fr., Syracuse, N.Y.), Walley, and Grizzle. In addition, the men's team had a strong performance as well in the distance medley relay with a fourth-place finish in 9:35.77. Richard Morris (So., Jackson, N.J.), J.R. McIlwain (Sr., Yardley, Pa.), Brian Lucas (Jr., Scarborough, Ontario) and Stephen Howard (Sr., Sheffield, England) ran on that impressive relay.
Meet Results
(Villanova Athletes)
Friday, April 24, 1997 - Saturday, April 26, 1997
103rd Penn Relay Carnival
Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pa.
Women
EVENT MARK PLACE ATHLETE(S)
400m IH 1:00.25 * 10th Melanie Sklepko
DMR 10:57.97 1st Jurga Marcinkevicuite (3.22)
Kesha Walley (54.0)
Tamieka Grizzle (2:03.9)
Krestena Sullivan (4:37.0)
4x400m Relay 3:42.06 * 1st (H) Kia Davis (54.2)
Leashia Rahr (55.0)
Kesha Walley (54.5)
Melanie Sklepko (57.1)
3:37.76 * & 1st Kia Davis
Leashia Rarh
Kesha Walley
Tamieka Grizzle
4x1500m Relay 17:29.32 1st Carmen Douma (4:25)
Kristine Jost (4.19)
Carrie Tollefson (4.20)
Krestena Sullivan (4.21)
4x800m Relay 8:27.66 1st Jurga Marcinkevicuite (2.06)
Tamieka Grizzle (2.04)
Carmen Douma (2.11)
Krestena Sullivan (2.04)
Men
EVENT MARK PLACE ATHLETE
400m IH 50.38 * 2nd Kareem Archer
DMR 9:35.77 4th Richard Morris
J.R. McIlwain
Brian Lucas
Stephen Howard
4x400m Relay 3:14.18 * 6th (H) Kareem Archer
Brian Lucas
David Hisler
J.R. McIlwain
4x1500m Relay 15:21.46 8th Steve Mazur
Scott Tantino
Richard Morris
Stephen Howard
* ECAC/IC4A Qualifying Mark
& ECAC/Penn Relays Record
