FROM APRIL 28-30 ON FLOTRACK
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Newbury Park isn't just chasing high schoolers anymore.
At the 126th running of the Penn Relays presented by Toyota from April 28-30 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Panthers have accepted an invitation to compete in the 4xmile Olympic Development relay against a selection of professional teams, including On Athletics Club, Team Ireland and Empire Elite.
OAC is attempting to break the World Best, while Team Ireland is looking to break the Irish World Record of 15:49.08, which was set in Dublin in 1985.
Former all-time high school great Dathan Ritzenhein, an Olympic medalist and famed marathoner who retired in 2020 before becoming coach of the OAC group, will lead a team consisting of Oliver Hoare, George Beamish, Joe Klecker and Morgan McDonald.
"In this first year of On sponsoring the Penn Relays, I'm so excited to bring our OAC men to chase the World's Best in the 4xmile," Ritzenhein said. "Penn Relays has such a storied tradition, and I can't wait for the team to be a part of relaunching it after the last two years."
The Olympic Development race will be held on Friday evening.
Newbury Park is coming off a new high school national record of 16:29.31 in the 4xmile at New Balance Nationals Indoor, and will look to break that mark at Penn Relays. The team consists of Aaron Sahlman, Leo Young, Lex Young and Colin Sahlman.
The current outdoor national high school record is 17:04.55 and it's held by Ogden (UT), which ran that time in 2016.
Newbury Park isn't just chasing high schoolers anymore.