Penn Relays: Sanya Richards-Ross will savor 'final lap'
Sanya Richards-Ross made her first trip to the Penn Relays in 2003 when, as a freshman, she anchored Texas' 4x400-meter relay team to victory.
Sanya Richards-Ross made her first trip to the Penn Relays in 2003 when, as a freshman, she anchored Texas' 4x400-meter relay team to victory.
She has enjoyed a terrific career since then: three Olympic appearances, four gold medals, six outdoor 400-meter championships, and six championships in the USA vs. the World relays at the carnival.
She's had so much fun at Franklin Field, it's almost as if she's reluctant to announce her retirement. During the USA vs. the World news conference Friday, she twice said this was "probably" her last year before she absolutely cleared the air.
"This is really my final season," she said.
Richards-Ross, 31, said she has fought an injury to her right big toe since 2007. She underwent her third surgery on the toe last November and will be making her outdoor debut Saturday in the 4x400-meter relay, also her farewell to competition at Penn.
"I'm just putting everything into this season and I want to leave it all on the track this year and give it my best," she said. "Then I'm looking forward to moving on and transitioning. My husband [NFL safety Aaron Ross] has been wanting a baby for five years and I think it's time to give him one. So I'm excited.
"All good things come to an end and I'm so blessed throughout my career. I've had so many wonderful experiences, the Penn Relays of course being one of them as well. So I'm looking forward to really enjoying kind of this final lap and making the most of it."
As with the rest of the professional athletes from the United States, Jamaica and other countries competing Saturday, Richards-Ross is pointing toward the Rio Olympics. She said her Penn Relays race will tell her "what I need to do to get ready for Rio."
For now, though, she will enjoy one last lap at the historic West Philadelphia stadium and soak in the applause from the fans from the United States and from Jamaica, the nation of her birth.
"The response I've been receiving on social media from many of the fans who are coming to watch has just been overwhelming," she said. "Hopefully to cross the finish line first and win one last title would be amazing."
The USA vs. the World competition will feature six races - the 4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays for men and women.
Penn's near upset
The host school for the Penn Relays almost pulled off the upset in the men's distance medley relay before finishing third behind champion Penn State and Georgetown. The Quakers' time of 9 minutes, 37.25 seconds broke a 44-year-old school record.
"I was happy we competed really well," Penn coach Steve Dolan said. "I thought all four legs really did their job. We were going to try to win it, that was the goal. We also wanted to compete really well and give ourselves a chance."
The Quakers appeared to be in good shape when Thomas Awad, the third-place finisher in the NCAA indoor mile, was in contending position on the 1,600-meter anchor leg, but he was unable to overtake Penn State's Brannon Kidder.
Did you see that?
The high school competition produced two of the most memorable moments at the carnival in recent history.
Shenendehowa of Clifton Park, N.Y., won the girls' 4x800-meter championship thanks to the gutty anchor leg of Hannah Reale, whose legs started to wobble about 10 meters from the finish, causing her to literally collapse over the line. She was fine.
In the boys' distance medley relay championship, Loudoun Valley of Purcellville, Va., and La Salle Academy of Providence, R.I., hit the finish line together in 10:00.01. After a review of the photo, Loudoun Valley was declared the winner by one-thousandth of a second, with Andrew Hunter barely edging Jack Salisbury.