Penn Charter Runners Shine at 113th Penn Relays

Returning as defending champions in the Penn Relays Inter-Ac mile relay race, the Penn Charter boys ran away from their league competitors at the 113th Penn Relays Track Carnival, winning first place.

Penn Charter nearly broke the event record last spring and the PC runners had high expectations entering the Penn Relays, the nation's oldest and largest track meet. However, with several team members nursing injuries, the boys mile relay squad assembled at Franklin Field on April 28, 2007 looked vastly different from the 2006 group.

Dareen David was the sole returning runner, and he was joined by Dylan Isaacson, Ricky Lynn and Je'Ron Stokes. When the gun sounded, Isaacson soon took charge of the race, and Penn Charter was never threatened in racing to a 3:25.7 final time. David had the fastest split on the team, running his 400-meter leg in under 51 seconds.

The Penn Charter girls also raced well at the Penn Relays. The foursome of Khaaleedah Smith, Saudiah Lawrence, Marquessa Gray and JaLia Moody placed fourth in the independent school division of the mile relay with a 4:13 final time.

The girls team's best came in the 400-meter relay. In that race, competing against American and Jamaican schools, the girls ran a blistering 49.4 seconds. The team was made up of Smith, Moody, Lawrence and Kirby Dixon. Their time was good enough to place first in their heat and just miss a school record, but not fast enough to advance.

As the 2007 outdoor track and field season comes to a close, the Penn Charter athletes prepared for their respective Inter-Ac League Championships. The girls hoped to improve on their runner-up team placement last year with a strong showing at Penn Charter's track on May 12, 2007. The boys planned to defend their team title on May 19, 2007 at Germantown Academy.