April 26, 2018

Page 11

MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2018 VOL. CXXXIV NO. 29

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

FOUNDED 1885

Who will draft Penn’s Justin Watson? Five events to watch at the 2018 Penn Relays CARTER COUDRIET

In a couple days, the NFL will welcome 256 new faces to the league. It’s looking increasingly likely that one of them will be Justin Watson. Penn’s very own pro-to-be is looking to become the first Penn football player to be selected in the NFL Draft since offensive tackle Jeff Hatch by the

Giants in 2002. Getting drafted out of the Ivy League is tough, but rumors from around the league have suggested that Watson has good odds of being drafted. The most significant came from NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt who said he was “hearing good things” about Watson and guessed he could go as high as the fourth round. Watson’s impressive pro day has generated interest: the receiver has reportedly been visiting with several teams the last couple weeks, indicating that he is a sought-after commodity.

Without professing to be a draft analyst, and keeping Watson’s strengths and weaknesses in mind, here are the ten teams I think are most likely to pick up the Penn superstar. And, keeping in accordance with DP Sports precedent, if someone not on this list drafts Watson, I will happily eat my words. 10. Cleveland Browns Coming off what was perhaps the worst season in NFL history, the Browns obviously need help in a lot of places. They only have three late-round picks with none in round seven, but there’s reason to believe the Browns

could use one on Watson. New general manager John Dorsey spent four years with the Chiefs and drafted a star in Division II product Tyreek Hill, despite Hill not being invited to the NFL Combine. They also drafted Princeton tight end Seth DeValve in 2016, and DeValve is still on the roster. 9. New York Jets The Jets haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver in two seasons, and while I don’t think Watson would be that guy immediately, he’d be a great checkSEE WATSON PAGE 16

80 year olds sprinting, steeplechase, and USA vs. the World races highlight the event SAM MITCHELL Associate Sports Editor

There’s no shortage of big events to catch over the three days of Penn Relays this weekend, but with so much action going on, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which ones are must-see. With that in mind, here are five events that you certainly won’t want to miss. 1. Masters Mixed 100m dash 80 and older Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race. In this event, that’s certain to be true. Participants must be at least 80 years old, and although it won’t be the fastest 100-meter race you’ll ever see, this is an event that can’t be missed. These old folks will be putting on a display that is the culmination of nearly a century of training and conditioning, and are far and away among the fittest members of their age group. The champion will likely have to run the distance in well-under half a minute to take home the gold, but viewers will likely be treated to over an entire minute of action as all 18 participants make their way towards the finish line. Last year, 81 year old Bobby Whilden won the race with a time of 14.65 seconds. Unfortunately, there will be no centenarians in this year’s race, although George Scott will come close when he competes as a 97 year old. Scott and the rest of the runners will begin at 3:08 p.m. on Saturday. 2. USA vs. the World Penn prides itself on being a University of the best and brightest students from around the world. That’s all well and good, but we’re still just college students. If you actually want to see some people who are the best in the world at what they do, make sure to catch these events at Penn Relays. In years past, viewers have seen the likes of eight-time gold medalist Usain Bolt, who holds the world records in the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay, grace Franklin Field. This year’s contest will feature two USA teams taking on runners from a variety of countries including Guyana, Haiti, and Jamaica. If the best running in the world isn’t a big enough draw for you, then some good old fashioned patriotism might do the trick. Or, cheer on ‘the World’ team and see if the runners who travelled the furthest to get here can go the distance. Either way, this is a must-see event, if only for a chance to potentially witness someone break a world-record. 3. College Women’s 3000m Penn women’s track is coming off of its first Ivy indoor championship in over two decades. They were led to victory by senior Abby Hong, SEE PENN RELAYS PAGE 12

GILLIAN DIEBOLD | DESIGN EDITOR

The story of Penn track and field’s season up to Penn Relays

Records fall, titles are taken and young Quakers shine DANNY CHIARODIT Associate Sports Editor

So far, so good for the Red and Blue. With the Penn Relays beginning Thursday, Penn track and field will look to put on a solid performance in front of a raucous crowd at Franklin Field. The Quakers have had a successful outdoor season thus far, with both teams setting multiple records throughout the year. The Red and Blue opened the outdoor season with the Penn Challenge on March 24 following a second place men’s finish at the Ivy League Indoor Heps and a championship for the women. Penn had a hot

start to the outdoor season, as the women’s team finished first in the Penn Challenge, while the men came in second out of seven teams. Sophomore Maura Kimmel broke her own program records in the discus (50.80m) and shot put (15.25m), foreshadowing what would be a terrific year for the thrower. On the track, the women’s quartet of freshmen Hannah Lueders, Caroline O’Neil, and Camille Dickson and senior Taylor McCorkle dashed to a time of 45.90 in the 4x100m relay, which was the meet’s best time and fourth in program history. The men’s team saw first-place finishes from sophomore Anthony Okolo (55.06) in the 400m hurdles and senior Patrick Hally (3:50.80) in the 1,500m. A week later, the Quakers

WILLIAM SNOW | SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER

Among the myriad highlights for Penn track and field this season, sophomore thrower Maura Kimmel and junior sprinter Calvary Rogers have each accomplished school record performances.

set five new school records in the Raleigh and Florida Relays.

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The women saw standout performances from junior Anna

Peyton Malizia and senior Abby Hong. Malizia — the

second-seed for the Penn Relays’ high jump on Saturday — set the school’s outdoor record by leaping 1.76m. Hong, for her part, ran the 5,000m with a program record time of 16:05.26. Additionally, the 4x400 team of senior Candace Taylor, sophomore Cecil Ene, freshman Uchechi Nwogwugwu, and O’Neil raced to a new school record with a time of 3:37.17. On April 6, at Princeton’s Sam Howell Invitational, the Red and Blue won first place in eight events on the day. One of the key performers was junior Rachel Lee Wilson, who reset her own program record in the hammer throw with a 60.51m mark. The following weekend was SEE BREAKDOWN PAGE 12

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