The Eagles’ Devon Allen defends his Penn Relays 110-meter hurdles title in a photo finish

In weather better suited for a football game than a track meet, Eagles wide receiver prospect Devon Allen won the Penn Relays’ Olympic Development 110-meter hurdles race for the second year in a row on Saturday.

Allen edged Rafael Pereira of Brazil in a photo finish, winning by just 0.002 seconds: 13.457 to 13.459.

It was closer than Allen might have wanted, but he was fine with having it now instead of in a bigger event down the road.

“When you’ve got somebody right next to you, you start to focus on them a little bit, and that’s the goal — not to focus on them,” he said. “It’s good to have that because I don’t want the first time I have people around me to be at the World Champs.”

That was a reference to the upcoming World Athletics Championships in August, which Allen hopes to run in. Last year, he clocked a 12.84 at the USA Track and Field NYC Grand Prix, the third-fastest time on record.

» READ MORE: Eagles wide receiver Devon Allen runs third-fastest 110-meter hurdles time ever

Allen thanked the Eagles’ staff for its support of his dual-sport efforts, from coaches to workers in the cafeteria; and he shouted out teammates who were at Franklin Field, including Jake Elliott, Tyrie Cleveland, Greg Ward, Ian Book, and Tyree Jackson.

Allen thanked the fans, too, for sitting through a misty rain all day long. Pereira, meanwhile, took in the buzzing atmosphere as a first-time visitor.

“The people in the city like athletics. It’s so different compared to Brazil,” he said. “And the people are so close to the track. That’s nice, too.”

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Ajee‘ Wilson knew what she was doing when she let Jamaica’s Natoya Goule lead for most of the Olympic Development women’s 600-meter race. The always-big crowd of Jamaicans got its hopes up, but Wilson waited, pounced out of the last turn, and prevailed.

“Seeing people that have watched me grow up, from officials to high school coaches and friends, this weekend was super cool,” said Wilson, a Temple alum who lives and trains here. She clocked 1:24.45 to Goule’s 1:24.96.

“I remember being a freshman, sophomore coming to Penn Relays, sitting in the nosebleeds on Saturdays and cheering for Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards, and running to the mixed zone to try and get a picture with Phoebe Wright,” Wilson, now 28, said. “It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago.”

This time, the tables were turned. Richards, now Richards-Ross, watched Wilson’s win as part of the broadcast team.

» READ MORE: Villanova outkicks the competition for its 21st win in the 4xmile competition at the Penn Relays

One of the most famous Jamaican sprinters to run at Franklin Field, Yohan Blake, was back at the track on Saturday to be inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame. Blake was honored individually and his 2007 St. Jago High team was honored as a group.

Blake was a junior in 2007 when St. Jago won the 4x100-meter Championship of America in a then-record 39.96 seconds. It was the first sub-40-second winning time in the event’s history.

In 2010, Blake returned to Franklin Field for one of the historic track’s most famous days: Usain Bolt’s visit to run Jamaica’s anchor leg of the USA vs. the World 4x100. A crowd of 54,310 — the largest single-day Relays crowd on record — jammed every inch of the stadium as Blake ran the second leg and Bolt ran the anchor leg. It was all over in just 37.90 seconds, but no one who was there will ever forget the moment.

» READ MORE: Usain Bolt remembers his historic 2010 Penn Relays performance: ‘There was a great atmosphere’

“Happy to be back here,” Blake said. “It’s been a long time coming … To see all the kids running reminds me of my days — not the cold part of it, but just the camaraderie. Running against all the schools for bragging rights.”

Blake went on to win 4x100 Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, and in 2011 he won World Championships titles in the 4x100 and 100-meter sprint. At a Diamond League meet in 2012, he ran a 9.69-second 100 — tied for the third-fastest men’s time on record.

The USA vs. the World exhibition hasn’t been held since 2019, and not just because of the pandemic. USA Track and Field and key sponsor Nike have moved their attention elsewhere, leaving Penn Relays organizers to try to attract big-name athletes individually.

Last year’s event included Allen, Wilson, and two Olympic gold-winning stars with local ties in Athing Mu and Sydney McLaughlin. This year, Allen and Wilson were the only big names on the marquee.

» READ MORE: Athing Mu thrills the Penn Relays crowd and wins a star-studded 600-meter race

Relays director Steve Dolan said there’s been some work behind the scenes to bring more big names back to Franklin Field.

“We’ve not yet got that restarted with USA Track and Field, but we actually have had conversations with World Athletics [the sport’s global governing body] and others in the hopes of getting some international relays back in our program,” he said. “For now, we’ve focused on getting the top individuals internationally to try to compete in our Olympic development events.”

Blake would like to see a big-time event return here.

“I’ve asked about it,” he said. “Jamaica vs. the U.S. is always one of the biggest things people come here for — not just the high schools, only, but to see the U.S. and Jamaica at it. Because we have been at it over the years. And definitely, definitely, I would love for it to come back again.”

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