With the 2016 Penn Relays set to stream LIVE on FloTrack this Thursday, we prepared an in-depth preview of the best showdowns coming your way this weekend in Philly!

Jamaican Sprint Dynamos Take on the Best in the U.S.

In just a few days, the talented young sprinters of Jamaica will make their annual pilgrimage to Philadelphia to take on the United States in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Races of speed and strength will ensue between the top competitors of sprint nation Jamaica and the raw talent of the best American high school athletes. This year, those athletes also happen to be some of the fastest runners in the world as Christopher Taylor (Jamaica), Josephus Lyles (United States), and Akeem Bloomfield (Jamaica) are No. 4, 5, and 6 in the world, respectively, in the U20 400m rankings. 

RELATED: Five Jamaican Names to Remember For Penn Relays

The best hope for the U.S. to beat the Jamaican sprint squads comes from the show-stopping T.C. Williams duo of Josephus and his brother, Noah. Both athletes have taken the high school sprint scene by storm with top marks in the 100m, 200m and 400m distances. Noah currently leads the nation with his blazing-fast 100m PR of 10.17, the ninth-fastest time in prep history. He also leads the nation in the 200m after posting 20.48 at the same meet he ran 10.17. His brother Josephus has posted a season’s best 400m mark of 45.94, which ranks No. 2 in the U.S. The Florida-bound brothers will contest the 4x100m and 4x400m relays with their T.C. Williams squad, which qualified for both events at last year’s Championship of America.

We caught an early glimpse of the jaw-dropping Jamaican high school talent at the ISSA Boys & Girls Championships in March. Taylor and Bloomfield put on a show for the national crowd in the 4x400m when Taylor surged past the national junior record-holder (44.93) in the last 70m to secure the victory for the Calabar squad in a winning time of 3:09.77 to Kingston College’s 3:10.26.



The performance also solidified the Calabar’s fifth consecutive championship title. At the same meet, Bloomfield defended his Boys 16-19 Class 1 400m title in 46.12, and in the 4x400m open finals, he split 44.5 to anchor Kingston College from third to second. At last year’s championship, Bloomfield became the first Jamaican prep to break 45 seconds with his national junior record of 44.93. 

Between the Lyles brothers, Taylor, and Bloomfield, the boys high school 4x100m and 4x400m relays are poised for jaw-dropping performances. 

Drew Hunter Aims to Make History With a Triple Crown

He’s taken care of business by winning the mile and owning the 3K, but this year, Drew Hunter is aiming for something even more special — to become the first athlete ever to win the mile, 3K, and DMR at Penn Relays. 

RELATED: Drew Hunter and Jungle Boys Poised for Penn Relays Wheel

If any athlete is capable of such a feat, it’s Hunter. The Loudon Valley senior already shattered record books by becoming the new high school indoor mile and 3K record-holder. Hunter set his first indoor mile record at the Armory Invitational, where he broke Alan Webb’s record by running 3:58.25. He lowered that record two weeks later by running 3:57.81 at the Millrose Games. Later, Hunter took down the 3K record at the Camel City Invitational with a 7:59.33 to break German Fernandez’s 7:59.83 all-time record. 

Hunter’s Loudon Valley distance medley relay squad is currently the top seed with their season's-best time of 10:03.42 from New Balance Nationals in March. The team’s greatest challenge will be River Dell Regional, which finished just behind Loudon Valley at New Balance in a time of 10:03.98. 

Watch the evolution of Drew Hunter over the years at Penn Relays:

Penn State Leads a Killer 4x800m Showdown

Penn State, or “800m U” as the program is so fondly known, headlines a stellar group of teams ready to roll in the men’s 4x800m relay. With All-American Robby Creese (1:48 PR) leading off, Jordan Makins (1:48 PR) on second leg, super-frosh Isaiah Harris (1:46 PR) on the third leg, and All-American Brannon Kidder (1:45 PR) on the anchor, the Nittany Lions will be a tough group to beat. Although Penn State has a loaded squad, Georgetown and Middle Tennessee State will be ready with some tricks up their sleeves. 

Georgetown has several aces in Ahmed Bile (3:40 1500m PR), Cole Williams (3:57 mile, 1:48 800m PR), and Joe White, who recently turned in a 1:46 over 800m to beat Harris in a homestretch battle at Stanford Twilight. Middle Tennessee State's All-American Eliud Rutto, who owns an 800m PR of 1:45 and finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, will be a big threat as the anchor leg. 

A Super-Hot Sprint Medley Relay and 4x400m Led by Florida

The Florida Gators are bringing their “A” game this weekend in both the sprint medley relay and the 4x400m with several All-Americans leading the way. The sprint medley could result in a nail-biter anchor leg as four of the seven-fastest 800m runners in the country face off into the finish line. 

The Gators will be led by Pan-Am relay champion Ryan Clark and four-time NCAA champion Hugh Graham, Jr. for the two 200m legs. Graham will hand off to All-American Kunle Fasasi on the 400m leg, and All-American Andre Arroyo (1:45 PR) will serve as the 800m anchor. Arroyo had a big breakthrough when he clocked an Olympic standard at Florida Relays just a few weeks ago. 



When Arroyo gets the stick, he will contend with Brigham Young's Shaquille Walker, who just ran the NCAA No. 1 mark of 1:44.99; Penn State’s NCAA Outdoor runner-up Kidder; and NCAA Indoor runner-up Rutto of Middle Tennessee State. Each runner has dipped under 1:46.50 this season, which should make for a great final leg in the relay championship. 

A DMR Face-Off For the Ages

Talk about an epic showdown: Four of the top 12 men's NCAA Indoor Championship DMR squads will return to duke it out in the Penn Relays DMR. The field will be led by Oklahoma State, which finished fifth at the NCAA Championships and tied the No. 3 time in NCAA history at the Alex Wilson Invite. This race is almost guaranteed to end up as a barn-burner determined by the anchor leg. 

The Cowboys will be led off through 1200m by 3:59 miler Matthew Fayers, who will hand off to All-American Brandon Singleton. He will return the stick to 1:47 800m runner Tre Kinnaird, who will pass the baton to anchor Joshua Thompson. Thompson has been enjoying a breakthrough season that has included a vast improvement from his 4:17 mile PR from last year — 19 seconds to be exact. Thompson will face big-time contention from Villanova, which placed sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and just 0.09 seconds behind the Cowboys in Birmingham. The Wildcats will be led by a star quartet in Harry Warnick, Ishmael Muhammad, and All-Americans Jordy Williamsz and Patrick Tiernan. 

Williamsz was part of the unforgettable 4xMile relay showdown that took place at last year’s Penn Relays. 



With Williamsz’s 1:46 800m speed and Tiernan’s 3:45 1500m speed, the Villanova squad will be a tough challenge. 

Penn State will line up stars in Robby Creese (1200m), Alex Shisler (400m), Harris (800m), and Kidder (mile). Creese boasts 3:39 1500m speed; Shisler has split 46 for the 400m; Harris owns a 1:46 PR, and Kidder rolls with a 3:57-mile best. The fourth team to watch will be Georgetown, which is led by a crew of sub-four-minute milers in Amos Bartelsmeyer, Cole Williams and Ahmed Bile. 

Don’t miss a minute of the Penn Relays action LIVE on FloTrack starting Thursday!