Complete Lincoln Results
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. —The second day at the 116th Penn Relays ended triumphantly for Lincoln.
In the final lap of LU's final event the IC4A Championship, the men's sprint medley, Matthew Coston (Brooklyn, NY, Dover), passed two runners to win the heat with a 3:23.56, a season best by five seconds, to steal the victory.
Teamed with Kester Lewis (Brooklyn, NY, William Grady (NY)), Rushane Scott (Allentown, PA, William Allen) and Diedre Mcloud (Plantation, FL, South Plantation), the group held in the top pack until Coston pulled away late in a climactic final straightaway in the last leg, the 800 meters.
“I knew I could get them in the final 10-12 meters,” Coston said. “Kester and everybody before me did a great job to get me in that position."
For head coach Cyrus Jones, the performance was not a surprise. Heading into the event, he anticipated a tremendous showing from the group, stating that if LU would take home the prestigius Penn Relays watches, it would be this group.
Sensational shows existed in the jumps as well.
Jared Randle (Kanakakee, IL, Kanakakee) set a personal best in the outdoor long jump, leaping 25 feet, 1.75 inches, surpassing the 25-feet mark he recorded two weeks ago at the Morgan State Legacy. He finished fourth overall and is within striking distance of the school record, 25 feet, four inches.
Randle equaled the previous meet record, set in 1996, but ideal conditions made for a historic day. The senior, took fourth with Nafee Harris of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania winning the title at 25 feet, 8.25 inches.
Randle was within fractions of an inch of claiming all these honors himself, but his toe clipped the take-off line, nullifying his monster pounce of 26 feet, three inches.
“I was so close, but there's nothing I can do,” Randle said. “ I asked them to measure it anyway. I had a great time at this Penn Relays, just like every other one.”
The men's sprint medley group also was solid in the 4x200-meter relay, attaining a spot in the IC4As by running a 1:27.06 for third in the second head and No. 22 of 69 teams overall.
The IC4A Championship takes off at 2:42 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Coston, Mcleod, Todd Mason, Jr. (San Diego, CA, Edgewood) and Lewis competed in the in the 4x400 as well, and with a 3:14.76, they bested their top effort by .08.
For the LU women, after opening with a solid 4x400 showing Thursday, the 4x200-relay finished fifth in the fourth heat at 1:41.15. Antonia Jones (Philadelphia, PA, Northeast), Kristina Rembert (Bronx, NY, Cathedral), Esha Wannamaker (Wilmington, DE, Glasgow) and Keishana LaRose (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made up the group.
Jones, Rembert, Wanamaker and Bienna Freeman (Christiana, DE, Christiana) placed 17th in the women's sprint medley with a time of 4:01.76. This was their best time of the year, besting a mark set at the Raleigh Relays by half a second.
Saturday, the final day of the relays, features several LU teams:
On tap Saturday:
2:42 p.m.: College Men's 4x200 IC4A
5:42 p.m.: College Women's 4x400 ECAC (alternate)
