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The 119th Penn Relays, the US's largest and oldest track & field competition in the United States, begin today at Franklin Field in Center City.
Last year, Christie Verdier, Sheila Reid, Nicky Akande, and Emily Lipari won the Distance Medley Relay's Championship of America for the Wildcats.
In total, through the history of the storied meet, Villanova has claimed 118 Relay Championships, has 24 Wall of Fame inductees, and have been named "Athlete of the Meet" 19 times.
Here's a sampling of the success and honors claimed by Villanovans at the Penn Relays.
Villanova's 118 Championships
| Event | Year | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Men's 4x400 | 1955 | 03:17.6 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1955 | 03:26.3 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1956 | 03:11.9 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1956 | 03:25.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1956 | 09:58.1 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1957 | 03:12.7 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1957 | 03:24.3 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1957 | 10:10.7 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1958 | 03:11.8 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1958 | 03:22.5 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1958 | 09:55.3 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1959 | 03:11.8 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1960 | 03:12.2 |
| Men's 4x200 | 1961 | 01:24.8 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1961 | 03:14.3 |
| Men's Shuttle Hurdles | 1961 | 01:00.8 |
| Men's 4x200 | 1962 | 01:25.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1962 | 10:04.7 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1963 | 03:20.1 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1964 | 07:31.7 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1964 | 16:50.7 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1964 | 03:23.4 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1964 | 09:55.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1965 | 07:26.1 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1965 | 16:39.4 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1966 | 07:39.3 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1966 | 09:46.4 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1967 | 16:39.7 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1967 | 09:39.6 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1968 | 03:06.1 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1968 | 07:21.8 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1968 | 16:27.4 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1968 | 03:18.1 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1968 | 09:37.9 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1969 | 03:07.2 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1969 | 07:20.1 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1969 | 16:37.9 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1969 | 03:17.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1969 | 09:38.2 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1970 | 03:07.9 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1970 | 07:28.1 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1970 | 16:40.2 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1970 | 03:19.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1970 | 09:38.5 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1971 | 07:25.5 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1971 | 16:43.7 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1971 | 09:44.1 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1972 | 09:37.5 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1973 | 07:25.7 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1973 | 16:31.7 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1973 | 09:43.6 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1974 | 16:10.6 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1974 | 09:36.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1975 | 07:28.4 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1975 | 16:27.4 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1975 | 09:28.2 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1976 | 07:18.0 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1976 | 15:03.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1976 | 09:28.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1977 | 07:16.3 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1977 | 03:15.3 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1977 | 09:28.5 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1978 | 03:04.5 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1978 | 07:17.8 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1978 | 15:07.1 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1978 | 03:14.9 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1978 | 09:37.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1979 | 07:20.3 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1979 | 14:59.3 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1979 | 03:16.4 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1979 | 09:29.9 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1979 | 08:47.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1980 | 07:18.3 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1980 | 15:01.4 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1980 | 03:17.2 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1980 | 09:24.2 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1981 | 15:02.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 1981 | 09:36.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1982 | 07:12.3 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1982 | 15:02.8 |
| Men's Sprint Medley | 1982 | 03:16.9 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1984 | 07:15.2 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1984 | 14:52.8 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1984 | 10:53.3 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1985 | 08:27.6 |
| Men's 4x400 | 1986 | 03:03.8 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1987 | 10:55.5 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1988 | 08:25.3 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1988 | 10:48.4 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1989 | 07:20.1 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1989 | 08:28.8 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1989 | 17:22.6 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1989 | 10:53.4 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1990 | 08:30.6 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1990 | 17:18.1 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1990 | 10:49.8 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1991 | 07:15.5 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1991 | 08:29.5 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1991 | 10:56.0 |
| Men's 4x800 | 1992 | 07:21.9 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1992 | 17:43.3 |
| Men's 4xMile | 1993 | 15:00.2 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1993 | 08:30.8 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1993 | 17:55.5 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1994 | 17:37.5 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1994 | 11:04.2 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1995 | 08:32.0 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1995 | 17:33.8 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1995 | 11:05.5 |
| Women's 4x800 | 1997 | 08:27.7 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 1997 | 17:29.3 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 1997 | 10:58.0 |
| Women's 4x1500 | 2000 | 17:30.4 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 2001 | 09:30.5 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 2006 | 10:57.0 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 2009 | 09:30.8 |
| Men's Distance Medley | 2011 | 09:37.9 |
| Women's Distance Medley | 2012 | 11:01.0 |
Wall of Fame Inductees
| Year | Athlete |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Charlie Jenkins (1957) |
| 1994 | Marty Liquori (1971) |
| 1994 | Eamonn Coghlan (1976) |
| 1994 | Mark Belger (1978) |
| 1994 | Ron Delany (1958) |
| 1994 | 1982 Distance Medley Relay- Ken Schappert, Greg Eckman, Tom Gregan, Eamonn Coghlan |
| 1994 | 1982 4×800m Relay- Marcus O’Sullivan, Mike England, John Hunter, John Marshall |
| 1995 | Vicki Huber (1989) |
| 1995 | Larry James (1970) |
| 1995 | Don Webster (1963) |
| 1996 | Don Paige (1980) |
| 1998 | Don Bragg (1957) |
| 1999 | Vic Zwolak (1964) |
| 1999 | 1988 Distance Medley Relay - Kathy Franey, Michelle Bennett, Celeste Halliday, Vicki Huber |
| 2000 | Ed Collymore (1959) |
| 2000 | 1990 4×1500m Relay - Nnenna Lynch, Sonia O’Sullivan, Cheri Goddard, Kathy Franey |
| 2001 | John Hartnett (1974) |
| 2002 | Dave Patrick (1968) |
| 2003 | Sydney Maree (1981) |
| 2005 | Ken Schappert (1975) |
| 2005 | 1974 Four-Mile Relay - Tom Gregan, Brian McElroy, Eamonn Coghlan, John Hartnett |
| 2006 | Kathy Franey (1990) |
| 2007 | 1987 Distance Medley Relay - Sean O’Neill, Edwin Modibedi, Bruce Harris, Gerry O’Reilly |
| 2008 | Frank Murphy (1969) |
Athletes of the Meet
| Year | Athlete |
|---|---|
| 1962 | Pat Traynor |
| 1965 | Noel Carroll |
| 1966 | Dave Patrick |
| 1968 | Frank Murphy |
| 1973 | John Hartnett |
| 1975 | Eamonn Coghlan |
| 1976 | Eamonn Coghlan |
| 1977 | Mark Belger |
| 1978 | Mark Belger |
| 1980 | Don Paige |
| 1981 | Sydney Maree |
| 1982 | John Marshall |
| 1987 | Vicki Huber |
| 1989 | Vicki Huber |
| 1992 | Carole Zajac |
| 1993 | Louie Quintana |
| 1996 | Jen Pastore |
| 1997 | Krestena Sullivan |
| 2009 | Matthew Gibney |