PHILADELPHIA — The Penn Relays is rightfully known for the efficiency and accuracy of its race and event management. Running more than 500 separate races and more than 100 field events requires organization, advance planning, and great execution and decision-making. Saturday, however, the Penn Relays machine stalled in two phases — execution and decision-making. As a result, pole vaulter Luke Annichiarico of Old Tappan and the Paramus Catholic boys 4-x-100 relay team lost chances at potential record-breaking and championship-winning performances. And both finished an agonizing sixth in their events. (Penn Relays medals are awarded to the top five finishers in major events.) The field events are scored and measured in metric increments, rather than the feet and inches that high school athletes are used to, even though there are conversions made available in the final results. So rather than starting at a traditional height like 13 feet, 6 inches or 14 feet, the Penn Relays started at 4.05 meters (13-3¼) and went up by .15 meters for the next three heights, to 4.20 (13-9¼), 4.35 (14-3¼) and 4.50 (14-9). Annichiarico passed at 4.05, but had a miss at 4.20, cleared 4.35 and made 4.50 on his third and final attempt. That left him in sixth place on misses of the six vaulters left. The bar should have gone by the printed progression to 4.60 meters (15-1) and then to 4.70 (15-5), but somehow none of the seven officials, coaches or athletes involved realized it and instead the bar was raised to 4.70 (15-5), a very large increase. So when all six athletes missed all three attempts at the height, the results remained as they were at 14-9 and Annichiarico missed a medal. “Hey, this is still the Penn Relays,” said Annichiarico, who earlier this month verbally committed to vault at Wake Forest and cleared 15-6 indoors. “The crowd and the atmosphere sends chills up my spine. I would have liked to have won a medal, but it was great to be here – See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/h-s-boys-track-frustrating-day-for-area-athletes-at-penn-relays-1.1003830#sthash.XTuYdx4X.dpuf
