THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 11 - MAY 11, 2024 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | SPORTS 18 Development field with the Toyota Women’s 1,500m. Highlighting the field is reigning 2023 champion, Josette Andrews. Andrews, who clocked a new Penn Relays record in 2023, of 4:04.88 and erased a 27-year mark set by USA’s Julie Henner (4:06.84 in 1996), headlines a list of 10 competitors from five different countries and a lot of familiarity of Franklin Field. Andrews currently ranks 27th in the world in the 1,500m. She will be joined by On teammates, Sage Hurta-Klecker and Sintayehu Vissa in the event, both of whom raced at the Relays last year. Vissa finished second in the 1,500m last year behind Andrews with a time of 4:07.27, while HurtaKlecker placed third in the Olympic Development 600m., event with a time of 1:25.33. Vissa won the 1,500m NCAA title in 2022, then followed it with the Italy national title in 2023, with a time of 4:06.85. Hurta-Klecker currently ranks 13th in the world for the 800m. One of Andrews’ top competitors in the event will be Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka, coming in with the best personal time (PB) in the event of 3:59.19. She currently ranks 34th in the world in the event and 11th in the 5,000m. A decorated career is highlighted by an eight-placed finish in the 1,500m at the 2021, Olympic Games in Tokyo. Coming off the best year of her career in 2023, Nia Akins will return to her roots of Franklin Field where she was a successful Penn All-American. Competing in the 600m in 2022, against Athing Mu at the Penn Relays where she finished third, she followed that with a 2023, season that saw her win a US national title in the 800m with a time of 1:59.50. Earning her a ticket to World Championships in Budapest, she capped off the season with a personal-best time in the event of 1:57.73, to finish sixth. She is currently ranked ninth in the world in the 800m. Another athlete making a return to the Penn Relays where she had a decorated history is Villanova alum, Angel Piccirillo. She won six Penn Relays titles during her career and was a nine-time All-American as a Wildcat. Helen Schlachtenhaufen is another US native in the race, currently ranking 36th in the world in the 1,500m. Her top honour of her career at this point is a bronze finish in 2022, at the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas. She joins a total of six Americans in the race including Rebecca Mehra. Additional countries in the race include Sweden and Portugal, represented by Yolanda Ngarambe and Marta Pen Freitas, respectively. The 128th running of the Penn Relays is set for April 25-27, at Franklin Field. Don’t miss out on the largest track and field event in the country, with over 15,000 athletes competing across three days ranging from high school, college, professional, and masters. Top athletes return for Penns’ 1,500m NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST Nozomi Tanaka Japan 3:59.19 Josette Andrews USA 3:59.72 Helen Schlachtenhaufen USA 4:01.09 Sintayehu Vissa Italy 4:01.66 Sage Hurta-Klecker USA 4:01.79 Yolanda Ngarambe Sweden 4:03.43 Marta Pen Freitas Portugal 4:03.79 Rebecca Mehra USA 4:04.90 Angel Piccirillo USA 4:05.32 Nia Akins USA 1:57.73 TOYOTA OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT WOMEN’S 1,500M PHILADELPHIA, PA: LESS THAN a month out from the 128th running of The Penn Relays Carnival (PRC), presented by Toyota, at historical Franklin Field, quite a bit of excitement greeted news of the first Olympic American Josette Andrews returns to the Franklin Field Stadium, UPenn, to defend her metric mile title won last year at the Penn relays Carnival. UPENN ATHLETICS
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