PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Sianni Wynn had tears running down her face. Summer Schaffer, Sanaya Dupree and Olivia Dupree jumped in each others arms and danced around!
The Pennsauken foursome were letting their emotions flow after they threw down one of the most electrifying performances in NJ history by stopping the clock at 45.30 to finish third overall and first among American teams in the girls' 4x100m Championship of America race at on Friday at the 130th Penn Relays at historic Franklin Field.
The time by Pennsauken, making their first ever appearance in a COA race, shattered the NJ record of 45.48 that Union Catholic ran to place second at the 2024 running of New Balance National Championships here at Franklin Field.
Pennsauken also qualified for the COA 4x400, scheduled for Saturday at 4:55 p.m., but they scratched from that race.
Edwin Allen of Jamaica won the 4x100 COA in 44.13 and St. Jago of Jamaica was second in 45.08. It's the 12th straight year that a Jamaican team has won this race.
The University of Florida-bound Wynn, one of the greatest track and field athletes in state history, said this was the best moment of her legendary career, which is filled with record-smashing performances.
"I never thought I'd ever see the day that we'd be running in the Championship of America race against the best teams in the world on a stage like this'' said Wynn, who won the 100m at the New Balance Nationals last June and owns multiple state records."This really is a dream come true. I'm truly blessed to have teammates like Summer, Sanaya, and Olivia. We have all worked so hard together for this moment. It's something we will never forget.''
Wynn got the baton in 5th place in the 9-team race.
"I wanted to get as many of them as I could,'' siad Wynn. My teammates worked hard and I owed to them all to bring it across the line with all I had.''
Olivia Dupree predicted on Thursday that her squad was going to level up and break the state record.
"I just knew what were were capable of,'' she said. "We knew when we got into a race where were chasing teams we'd rise up and meet the challenge.''
