Giordano wins Day 1 at Penn Relays

Photo Credits: High School Sports Elite

There was one disappointment in Layla Giordano’s otherwise perfect day at the Penn Relays Thursday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

She didn’t get a chance to receive the crowd’s plaudits in the infield at Franklin Field after dominating the high school girls discus throw.

“I wanted to be on the podium like (former Demarest star) Niki Woods was when she won the javelin two years ago,” said the Old Tappan senior after she threw 167-10 to win the event by more than 10 feet over Najhada Seymoure of Excelsior of Jamaica. “They had a nice ceremony over by the discus area where I got my (Penn Relays) watch but I wanted to be in the stadium.

Giordano finished sixth a year ago with a throw of 145-4, one spot behind Seymoure, who threw 149-6 a year for fifth place and the final medal in 2023.

“I knew I was ranked first and I knew the other girl was very good but this time I came in prepared to throw close to my PR (170-4) and if I did I thought it would be enough.”

Giordano was keyyed up for her first throw that she threw a sector foul well over 150 feet and then threw a “safe” 151-6 to guarantee four more throws after Seymoure grabbed the lead with her best effort of 157-9 on her second attempt.

Giordano’s third throw was the winner and she knew it as soon as she released it, clapping her hands before she stepped out of the ring. After it landed no one came within 10 feet of the mark except for the one Giordano says got away in the fifth round.

“I had a really good one out around 170 feet and I accidentally stepped out,” she said.

With the win Giordano became the first ever North Jersey winner of the event and the first New Jersey winner since 2004. The next seven finishers were from either Jamaica or the Bahamas.

Giordano, who’ll be a teammate of Woods at Princeton next fall, had thrown a previous season’s best of 164-5 Monday in a dual with Demarest and also threw a PR of 46-5 in the shot.

“I have confidence in both events,” says the defending State Meet of Champs winners in both events. “But I have big goals in the discus; to throw 183.” That’s no coincidence. The state record is 182-0, thrown by former Donovan Catholic Alyssa Wilson in 2017.

2:04: Old Tappan’s young trio sets up a great veteran finish

None of the Golden Knights’ first three runners had ever run a 400 at Penn before their Thursday race. But soph Angie Kelley and freshmen Nora Lee and Emme Fermin looked like cagey veterans keeping their team near the front against veteran teams from Suitland and Seneca Valley, two of Maryland’s best teams.

Kelley ran a strong 62.21 opening leg that left her second, within 10 meters of early leader Seneca Valley and Lee (62.74) and Fermin (62.38) were even closer when the baton reached Dennis, the defending state 100 meter hurdles champion and one of the fiercest competitors in the state.

“It was hard getting around everyone from the back of the waterfall start,” said Kelley, and Lee benefitted from her effort, saying “after the way Angie I knew I had to stay strong.”

Fermin knew her job was to “keep my place and give Abby a chance”, and unsurprisingly when she gave Dennis the baton, it was clear that the Harvard bound senior was ready.

” I had a really good group of underclassmen with me and I knew we hadn’t gotten a wheel in a few years (since 2019) and it was my last race at Penn in an OT uniform.”

The two Maryland schools never had a chance. Dennis blasted a 57.21 anchor, the fastest of the day to that point and won by more than 20 meters over Suitland in 4:04.53, with Seneca Valley fading to third. “Between the 4-x-400 and Layla (discus champion Giordano) we’re bringing a lot of hardware home.”

Source Link: https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/high-school/track/2024/04/26/track-nj-highlights-from-day-1-at-penn-relays/73448934007/

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