Ex-Tennessee star Phoebe Wright debuting as a professional at Penn Relays

The routine had been the same the last two years at the Penn Relays for Phoebe Wright: Run anchor on three relays for Tennessee, reach the finish line first, appear with her teammates on the victory podium, collect more watches.

However, it's different now. Wright will compete at Franklin Field for the first time as a professional on Saturday, expected to anchor the U.S. women's sprint medley relay in the USA vs. The World competition.

But she made sure she was in the stadium on Thursday to watch her old team finish second to Georgetown in the women's distance medley relay.

"I was absolutely more nervous than they were," she said. "I'm proud of them as a Tennessee alum, and I hope they keep up the tradition."

Wright won a total of six watches at the carnival, running anchor legs that ranged from 800 meters to 1,500 to 1,600 (distance medley).

Now there is the transition to being a full-time runner, a much different life than what she knew in college.

"I was kind of worried about the transition going from collegiate to professional," she said. "My coach has held me accountable pretty much every day, multiple hours per day, making sure that I focus on track. It's about setting high goals and meeting expectations. It's fun."

Wright will be racing at a high level Saturday. Her primary competition on the anchor will come from Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair, who recently opened her season with a time of 1 minute, 59.6 seconds in the 800.

"I can't complain; it could have been worse," Sinclair said rather matter-of-factly.

The U.S. women include a pair of Penn Relays veterans. Sanya Richards-Ross has been running at Franklin Field since her college days at Texas, and Allyson Felix has been a part of a staggering eight victorious U.S. teams here - four each in the 4x100 and the 4x400.

The men's competition will feature a loaded field in the distance medley relay. The U.S. teams for the race will feature world champion Bernard Lagat; former Penn Relays star Leonel Manzano; and Russell Brown, holder of the top time this year in the 1,500.

The sprint relays should come down to the usual duels between the United States and Jamaica. Mike Rodgers, Walter Dix, and Carmelita Jeter are among the Americans expected to be racing, and Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Frater are scheduled to be on the track for Jamaica.