PHILADELPHIA – For the second time in as many days, the Georgetown University track & field team hoisted a Penn Relays Championship of America wheel at the 125th running of the Penn Relays Carnival. Following his anchor leg on Friday's winning sprint medley relay, All-American Joe White (Clifton, N.J. / DePaul Catholic) anchored the winning Championship of America 4x800m Relay Presented by US Army. With the win, the men's squad captured its 26th Championship of America title.
 
"To win at Penn Relays is always special," Director of Track & Field / Cross Country Julie Culley said. "But to come away with two wheels for the men was really an amazing experience for our team. It was an entire team effort in the 4x800m today with great performances from all four guys. Ruach's last 200 meters really set up that last leg and Joe was great on the anchor again today. I'm proud of the team effort we put forth and while not everything went our way this weekend, we have a lot to be proud of."
 
The foursome of Kenny Rowe (Cockeysville, Md. / Loyola Blakefield), Ian Delgado (Cary, N.C. / Green Hope), Ruach Padhal (London, Ontario / John Paul II Catholic) and White clocked 7:25.18 en route to its 11th title in the event and the first since 2004.
 
Rowe led off for the Blue & Gray, keeping the Hoyas at the front of the pack, splitting 1:52.25. Delgado took over the second leg and split 1:52.25 over his two laps before handing off to Padhal. Padhal was calm through his first lap and had some ground to make up. With 200 meters to go in his frame, Padhal shifted into another gear and closed the gap on the field, splitting 1:49.57, the fastest carry of the day. White stayed with the lead pack through 400 meters and started to work his way around competitors on the back straightaway. Coming off the final turn, White was surrounded by the anchors for Indiana, Penn State and Columbia. Splitting 1:50.91, the veteran held off the competition for the second-straight day and anchored his second winning COA relay of the weekend.
 
In the Championship of American 4xMile Relay Presented by Retails Sites LLC, the foursome of All-American Jack Salisbury (Rumford, R.I. / La Salle Academy), Christian Lidell (Rogers, Ark. / Rogers), All-American Nick Wareham (Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury) and All-American Spencer Brown (Wilton, Conn. / Wilton) placed third with a time of 16:40.63. Early in the race the Hoyas were leading the chase pack but as the race went on the field closed the gap. On the bell lap, Brown found himself in a three-team race with Wisconsin and Indiana. As the anchors hit their stride, the Hoyas held on for third place.
 
The Hoyas return to action on Friday, May 3 as the Hoyas will travel locally to the Kehoe Twilight Meet, hosted by the University of Maryland in College Park.
 
The Rundown
• With the men's team winning a pair of Championship of America (COA) titles (4x800m, SMR), it marks just the fifth time in history the GU men have brought home a pair of wheels from Penn Relays (2019, 1997, 1990, 1951, 1922).
• The Hoyas have only won more Championship of America events in one other year. In 1925 the Hoyas won the 4x400m, 4x800m and the sprint medley relay (SMR).
• Joe White becomes just the third Hoya in program history to anchor a pair of winning COA relays. He joins Jimmy Burgess (1925 – 4x400m, SMR) and All-American Bryan Woodward (1997 – 4x800m, SMR). Both Burgess and Woodward were Olympians competing in the 1924 Paris Olympics and 2000 Sydney Olympics, respectively.
 
Penn Relay Results – Saturday
College Men's 4x800m Relay Championship of America
1. Kenny Rowe (1:52.46) / Ian Delgado (1:52.25) / Ruach Padhal (1:49.57) / Joe White (1:50.91), 7:25.18
 
College Men's 4xMile Relay Championship of America
3. Jack Salisbury (4:09.9) / Christian Lidell (4:11.8) / Nick Wareham (4:05.5) / Spencer Brown (4:13.4), 16:40.63
 
College Women's 4x800m Relay Championship of America
9. Sami Corman (2:13.88) / Cathilyn McIntosh (2:20.39) / Olivia Arizin (2:16.68) / Josette Norris (2:11.94), 9:02.87
 
College Men's 4x100m Relay – College Section
8. Josiah Laney / Nate Alleyne / D'Andre Barriffe / Lawrence leake, 41.79
 
Men's Olympic Development Mile
11. Joshua Bell, 4:18.21