Penn Relays: North Penn girls shine in 4x800
Before shining in cross-country and track and field, Phoebe Clowser was a hardworking defender in ice hockey. She honed her skills with the West Chester-based Quakers and played two seasons at North Penn.
Before shining in cross-country and track and field, Phoebe Clowser was a hardworking defender in ice hockey. She honed her skills with the West Chester-based Quakers and played two seasons at North Penn.
"It was so much fun," Clowser said. "I really loved it. And the boys at North Penn treated me and my older sister [Dara] very well. They were so nice and supportive."
The 17-year-old opted to hang up her stick for good and concentrate on running after her sophomore year.
On Friday afternoon at the 122nd annual Penn Relays, Clowser's second-leg effort helped spark North Penn to a satisfying fourth-place showing in the girls' 4x800 Championship of America relay.
"I'm real excited," Clowser said on a chilly and overcast day at Franklin Field. "We qualified last year and placed eighth, so to finish fourth is a big accomplishment for us."
North Penn finished in 9 minutes, 2.06 seconds. Shenendehowa (9:00.79) and Mamaroneck (9:01.69), both of New York, placed first and second, respectively. Jamaica's Holmwood Tech (9:01.76) took third.
Clowser, the lone senior in the group, produced a split of 2:15.34. She was joined by sophomore Ariana Gardizy (2:19.60 in the leadoff role) and juniors Uche Nwogwugwu (2:15.33 with the third carry) and Mikaela Vlasic (2:11.79 as the anchor).
With junior standout Olivia Arizin's 2:12.33 split out of the gate, Cardinal O'Hara gained the early advantage in the Championship of America. The Lions finished ninth in 9:15.68 and Delaware County neighbor Penn Wood (9:26.33) rounded out the 12-team field.
Gardizy did her best to stay fairly close to Arizin and keep the Knights in contention. "I was scared," she said with a laugh. "Right after the gun went off, it was kind of surreal. I never went out that fast before."
Nwogwugwu impressively moved North Penn from the seventh spot to third before handing the baton to Vlasic. "I like chasing," Nwogwugwu said. "When it's hectic like that, it makes me want to sprint."
Like the other lead-pack anchors, Vlasic was blazing in the final two laps. "It's just great to know you gave it everything you had and that we put up a good time," she said.
Clowser will continue her running career at Illinois State. She plans to major in chemistry and minor in criminal justice, with an eye on a career in forensic science or law enforcement.
"It's just so awesome to be able to race here," the Lansdale resident said of the Penn Relays. "It's amazing, but sad. I know I'll probably never come here again."
Downingtown West's Josh Hoey, a sophomore, won the boys' mile in 4:11.90. "My main goal was to relax the pace for the first 800 meters and really kick it in the last 300," he said.
Cheltenham's Bria Barnes, Brielle Lewis, Alexis Crosby, and Chanel Brissett took fourth in the girls' 4x100 Championship of America relay in 46.58 seconds.
Norristown triumphed in the girls' 4x100 large-school relay in 47.31 seconds. Pennridge (48.23) and Central Bucks South (48.76) took fourth and sixth, respectively.
Central Bucks South's Jake Brophy, a senior bound for Navy, was 12th in the boys' 3,000-meter championship in 8:30.11.
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