Complete Lincoln Results
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. —Regardless of the outcome, the final day of the 116th Penn Relays was going to be memorable for the Lincoln 4x200 team.
In the race immediately before the 4x100 United States versus the World race featuring Usain Bolt and other Olympians, Lincoln competed in the IC4A 4x200 Championship before a near-capacity crowd of 55,000 at Franklin Field.
The squad, consisting of Diedre Mcleod (South Plantation, FL, Plantation) , Kester Lewis (Brooklyn, NY/William Grady (NY)) (Brooklyn, NY, William Grady (NY)) , Rushane Scott (Allentown, PA/William Allen) (Allentown, PA, William Allen) and Matthew Coston (Queens, N.Y./Dover HS) (Queens, NY, Dover), placed sixth with a 1:27.10. Howard captured first in the thrilling race at 1:23.75, edging Delaware State by a tenth of a second in the opening act to the weekend's main event. LU had qualified for the IC4As with a 1:27.06 Friday.
The race was scheduled to begin at 2:42, but when the world's fastest man entered Franklin Field, the raucous reception he received drowned out the PA, halting the starting gun.
For Mcleod, he said the presence of the world record holder in the 100 and 200 meters amped him up. Bolt was competing for Jamaican Gold, which edged the Americans thanks to his strong final leg.
Scott, who lived in Jamaica until the ninth grade, said he was not surprised by the reception, because of the Jamaicans' passion for track and field, particularly the sprinters. However, after attending the Penn Relays throughout high school — he was raised in Allentown — and college at Lincoln, the anticipation surrounding Bolt's presence made for an even more special weekend.
“It was great,” Scott said. “Jamaican nationals are twice this, but this is the biggest I've seen here.”
McLeod, Coston, Scott and Lewis also received the prestigious gold watches for winning their 1C4A Sprint Medley, held yesterday afternoon, earned as Coston tracked down two runners on the final straightway.
Note
The LU women's 4x400 team was an alternate in the ECAC Championship, but because each of the eight qualifying schools reported, the ladies did not get to participate.
