Track and Field Impresses at Penn Relays

Track and Field Impresses at Penn Relays

April 25, 2026 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

PHILADELPHIA – The Army West Point track and field program had an impressive three-day stretch at the famous Penn Relays Thursday through Saturday at Franklin Field.

The meet was highlighted by sophomore thrower Collin Torres, who took home first place in the men's javelin championship with a mark of 67.77m. That distance is sixth all-time at Army and was 1.17m clear of second place. With the win, Army has won an individual event at the Penn Relays for the second year in a row. Last season, Emily Fink won the women's hammer championship.

In addition to Torres' strong showing, a pair of program and service academy records were set. Charlotte Richman posted a remarkable third-place time of 15:34.07 in the 5000m, breaking her own record. The women's 4x800m team of Alma Lazo Cazares, Skye Chambers, Lauren Gallagher and Mikayla Cheney posted a record-breaking time of 8:33.86.

In the men's 4x800m, the quartet of Ammon Smith, Todd Worth, Jack Musgrave, Kasen Jeitz posted a sixth-place result at 7:23.67, which was the fastest time an Army team has posted since 1985.

In the women's 10000m championship, Louisa Diamond was fourth at 33:54.53. Cheney had a strong performance in the 1500m, posting a time of 4:15.86 to finish eighth.

Thrower Jordan Hecht had an impressive third-place finish in the women's shot put championship at 16.18m. In other women field events, Olivia Reed was eighth in the long jump, hitting a mark of 5.72m. Kiana Emerson was also eighth in the hammer throw championship at 56.93m.

In the pole vault, Van Carter had a strong showing, finishing tied for seventh at 4.72m. Robby Manse was eighth in the hammer throw championship at 62.48m, which he hit on his third attempt.

Quotable – Director of Track and Field Mike Smith
On Charlotte Richman
"She did it again. Charlotte Richman is piling on. Just when you think she has reached a new level, she comes back again with something we have never seen before and we are all left in awe. There are other women in the NCAA that can do what she is doing…but not many. Tonight, in what I would describe as perfect conditions for racing, Charlotte ran 15:34.07 for 5000 meters at the Penn Relays. She took down her own academy record set a few weeks earlier at the Raleigh Relays (by 18 seconds) and also took down the service academy record by four seconds. It was a rhythm race from the gun with splits of 5:01 for the first mile and 5:01 for mile two. Her last mile was just under 5:00 and she closed the last lap in 73 second. It was a great run for her. Maybe that is an understatement. There a lot of superlatives I can use to describe what she has done this year but I feel like I have exhausted my vocabulary. She wins races, she runs fast and she competes with absolute effort. It is impressive. She is on a hot streak right now and we are all along for the ride."

On Saturday
"The Penn Relays is one of the best meets in the country and some of the events annually produce world leading marks. It was more of the same today. The temperature cooled quite a bit and the wind picked up so some of the times on the track were a bit slower but the competition was just as fierce as you would expect when some of the best teams in the NCAA come together. We had a thin schedule of events but in those events we were very competitive. Jordan Hecht claimed 3rd in the championship shot put. She threw over 16 meters again and that level of consistency is going to serve her well later in the season. Our men's 4x800 finished sixth in the Championship of America race. We were in fifth at the first exchange and held that position until the final lap. Our anchor leg was run by Kasen Jeitz '26 and he battled all the way to the line to get us the sixth position at the finish. Our time of 7:23.67 is the fastest time an Army team has run since 1985. We just missed the academy record in the event (7:22.16). Our women's 4x800 also qualified to run in the Championship of America. Our quartet of Alma Lazo Cazares '28, Skye Chambers '27, Lauren Gallagher '28, and Mikayla Cheney '27 finished seventh in a loaded race with the fastest time ever run by a service academy team. Our time of 8:33.86 broke the record we set last year at the Patriot League championship. We were battling in eighth-ninth place most of the race until Mikayla got the stick on the final exchange. She settled in behind the Oregon and Georgetown runners on the first lap and overtook them at the bell to move us up to sixth. She held that spot until the final straight and was overtaken at the line by the Michigan State runner. It was an historic run for our women and a great competitive effort against some of the best middle distance teams in the NCAA. Our final competitor on the day was Collin Torres '27 in the championship men's javelin. In his last outing Collin won the Star Meet javelin title with a big 65 meter throw. Today he topped that by winning the Penn Relays Championship with a new personal best of 67.77 meters. That mark moved him to No. 6 on the Army all-time list and vaulted him to the top of the Patriot League. Collin had a limited fall preparation period and is just now starting to show the results of all his hard work this winter. Today's win was significant. Collin joins Emily Fink '25 in bringing home a title, which gives the Army team back to back years with a Penn Relays victory. We had a great weekend and look forward to more of the same at Princeton next weekend."