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Sports

Penn Relays Kick Off With Local Schools Competing

Germantown Friends and Germantown High School among the competitors.

Schools in Northwest Philadelphia and along the Main Line had a busy Thursday afternoon competing in the 117th-annual Penn Relays.

Runners from Penncrest, Friends Central, Merion Mercy, Lower Merion, Radnor, Archbishop Carroll, Germantown Friends, Harriton, Germantown and Marple-Newtown sent girls relays teams to run in one of the nation's oldest track and field traditions.

Event 107 provided the most friendly competition, with eight of the smaller schools running against one another in the 4x100-meter relay.

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"It's always fun to run here," said Penncrest's Allison Vanzart, who ran the first leg. "I've been coming here since seventh grade, and it's a great time."

Vanzart's team, which also consisted of Rachel Nowoswiat, Melissa Roller, and Sabrina Barbieri, finished 25th overall with a time of 49.77.

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Slightly behind them was Radnor's group of Kate Gregg, Marina Rufo, Megan Ditrilio, Lydia Ali, who finished at 49.99, in 30th place.

Helen DeHaven, Troi Williams, Emily Goodman and Patty Neckowicz made up the Lower Merion team and finished 111th with a time 51.79, ahead of Merion Mercy's 165th place of Hayley Palacki, Mary Paschos, Mackenzie MacNeal and Nicol Natale (52.76).

Archbishop Carroll (Adriana Ongay, Carla Fanelli, Stacey Oakes and Lauren Gianchetti), Friends' Central (Sarah Cullinan, Nicole Wolfson, Grace Heard and Fiona Lawson), Germantown (Kelsey Turner, Sarah Bergman, Morgan Ramsey and Noni Davis) and Harriton (Alex Read, Ally Grandy, Brielle Stanner, Shanea Lee) rounded out the event's performers.

Germantown High School and Marple Newtown girls ran in Event 108, with Marple-Newtown's group of Makaela Somma, Calie Coghlan, Christina Descano, Amy Wyshchynskyj finishing two places ahead—204 to 206th of Tema Kidd, Jahneya Mitchell, Zalisa Fanning and Michelle Brokenbough.

"It's fun to race against them," said Wyshchynskyj, a senior. "It's more friendly. We have a lot of mutual respect for each other. We were all cheering for each other. But we still want to beat them."

Some of the schools also ran in the 4x400-meter relay later in the afternoon and finished with the following times:

Small schools:

Germantown Friends: 7th, 4:11.08 (Carey Celata, Brooke Palus, Tess Doggett, Kelsey Turner).

Merion Mercy: 9th, 4:15.44, (Kathreen Sterling, Molly Lord, Mary Paschos, Nicol Natale).

Friends Central: 12th. 4:19.40 (Monaye Merritt, Imani Shell, Tara Wolfson, Isabel Terres).

Big schools

Radnor: 3rd, 4:01.55, (Marina Rufo, Megan Ditrilio, Kate Gregg, Lydia Ali).

Lower Merion: 7th, 4:09.23, (Gabby O'Leary, Patty Neckowicz, Maya Mahmud, Laura Peterson).

Penncrest: 8th, 4:09.93, (Allison VanZant, Letonia Alexander, Sabrina Barbieri, Alanna Blessington).

Marple Newtown: 9th, 4:14.17, (Makaela Somma, Maiya Brown, Christina Descano, Amy Wyshchynskyj).

Harriton: 12th, 4:30.89, (Brielle Stander, Julia Fuchs, Karen Irvine, Adjoa Mante).

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