Aberdeen Eagles Track Team Heads to Penn Relays

The Aberdeen Eagles track team heads to the Penn Relays on Thursday to compete against their peers from across the country.

The Penn Relay Carnival will be held Thursday through Saturday at Franklin Field in Philadephia, Pa. The Penn Relays—as the largest and oldest track and field event is more commonly known—have been held annually by the University of Pennsylvania since April 21, 1895.

The event generally attracts tens of thousands of athletes from high schools, colleges and track clubs in America and elsewhere with Jamaica usually sending noteworthy talent.

Co-head coaches John Mobley Jr. and Kyree Edwards said that making the trip exposes the team to one of the greatest track and field traditions.

“This is an opportunity for our kids to see talent on a higher level,” Mobley said. “It gets them excited about what they do and you can’t see it on any higher stage.”

Edwards agreed.

“We get to see the best of the high school level, the best of the college level and the best of the professional level,” Edwards said.

But there are also races where runners in their 50s, 60s and 70s compete.

“You may see the older runners running times that are comparable to high school times,” Edwards said. “You also see Olympic developmental teams.”

The Aberdeen Eagles girls 4 x 100-meter relay team will compete Thursday at 12:15 p.m. The members of the girls 4 x 100-meter team are: Sonya Malone, Kiersten Bond, Aliyah Reese and Jimmia McCluskey

The girls 4 x 400-meter relay team will compete Thursday at 2:45 p.m. Members of the girls 4 x 400-meter team are: Nia Alleyne, Aliyah Reese, Samara Miller and Kayla Ball.

The Aberdeen Eagles boys 4 x 400-meter relay team will compete on Saturday at 10:10 a.m. The boys 4x4 team includes: Chavez Cheatham, Jermaine Mabon, Russell Lee and Damien Cruz

The Aberdeen Eagles will not field a boys team for the 4 x 100-meter relay.

Both Mobley and Edwards said this year’s track team is making progress. But the coaches stopped short of making predictions about whether they would win their events. Click here to watch the events live online.

“I expect them to do well,” Mobley said.