PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Navy track and field teams delivered a standout performance this weekend at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., capturing a pair of event victories at the historic 130th edition of the Penn Relays.
 
"This meet has been around for a long time and to have a pair of victories this weekend was pretty impressive when you think of the history and all of the teams that compete here," Navy director of track & field Jamie Cook said. "We're very fortunate to get a chance to compete here this weekend."
 
Track Events
Justin Mumford on Thursday highlighted the track events by winning the 10,000-meter run, clocking the fourth-fastest time in Navy history at 29:01.38. Jackson Nguyen completed the Mids' impressive performance in the event, crossing the finish line with a fourth-place time of 29:23.72.
 
"Anytime you win at the Penn Relays is significant," Cook stated. "Justin [Mumford] been fantastic this season and Jackson [Nguyen] hung in there as well with an impressive performance."
 
The women's 4x800-meter relay team picked up Navy's second track victory of the meet on Saturday afternoon. Competing in the event for the first time this season, Reilly Nussbaum, Julia Blake, Sophie Compton and Mia-Claire Kezal posted the fifth-best time in program history, winning in 8:49.31.  
 
"It was a solid performance by that 4x800-meter relay team," Cook remarked. "They competed hard through the raining conditions."
 
The men's 4x400-meter team of Conor McFadden, David Walker, Simon Alexander and Nathan Kent clocked the third-fastest time in school history (3:05.11) to win its heat and place second overall, advancing to the finals. Kent ran the fastest 400-meter split in the entire field (43.96), anchoring the squad and propelling Navy from third place to first in the heat. In the finals, the quartet ran a seventh-place time of 3:13.62.
 
"That was probably the best event of the meet," Cook said. "Nathan's [Kent] split of 43.96 is one of the fastest splits at the Penn Relays."
 
The men's 4x800-meter relay team of Matthew Quispe, Ben Marks, Ryan Du Plessis and Tate Frost crossed the finish line in 7:33.68 to take sixth.  
 
Sophie Compton kicked off the women's meet in the 5,000 meters, setting the seventh-best time in program history at 16:31.83 to place 33rd.  
 
The women's 4x100-meter relay squad of Caroline Rey, Sophia Richter, Savannah Swanda and Jia Anderson earned an automatic bid to the finals with a time of 46.67, finishing second in the top heat and fifth overall. In the finals, the team just missed a podium finish with a fourth-place time of 47.68, edged out by Morgan State (47.51) for third.  
 
Navy competed in the distance medley relay for the first time this season, and the quartet of Matt Newell, Ayden Henley, Aidan Eberhardt and Dane Eike clocked the sixth-fastest time in school history at 9:39.66 to place eighth.  
 
The Midshipmen also competed in the sprint medley relay for the first time this season. The women's team of Caroline Rey, Samaria Williams, Julia Blake and Mia-Claire Kezal finished eighth in 3:56.45.
 
"We were able to do a few more events this weekend and try some fun things for the athletes and it was pretty successful," Cook stated.  
 
In the women's 4x400-meter relay, the group of Peighton Marrero, Savannah Swanda, ChiChi Obasi and Sophia Richter finished eighth in 3:46.23.  
 
Field Events
Zoie Tesi led Navy in the field events, ending in a five-way tie for third place in the high jump with a mark of 1.70 meters (5-7). She later finished fourth in the triple jump, tying the eighth-best mark in school history at 12.21 meters (40-0.75).  
 
William Pierce finished third in the men's long jump. Sitting in eighth place on his final attempt, Pierce recorded a jump of 7.39 meters (24-3) to propel himself into third.  
 
"Zoie [Tesi] and William [Pierce] competed really well considering the weather they had to face today," said Cook. "It was just good to see them get out and compete against some really good competition."
 
Nalina Smith and Julia Norris had impressive performances in the women's discus, finishing sixth and ninth, respectively. Smith started strong, recording her best mark of 47.71 meters on her first throw. Norris also opened with her best throw, recording a distance of 45.77 meters.  
 
Kyle Ashley recorded a top-10 javelin throw in the college division, posting a seventh-place toss of 59.61 meters (195-7). Ethan DeLaurier added a solid performance, placing 13th with a mark of 57.88 meters (189-11).  
 
In the women's javelin, Olivia Baird led the Midshipmen with a seventh-place throw of 42.35 meters (138-11).  
 
Up Next
Navy returns to the road next weekend for the two-day Larry Ellis Invitational, held Friday and Saturday in Princeton, N.J.