PHILADELPHIA – The Olympic Development Men’s Steeplechase field for the upcoming Penn Relays presented by Toyota has been announced, and it features a star-studded line-up headlined by Eritrean Olympian Yemane Haileselassie.
Who Will Compete In the Penn Relays Olympic Development Men’s Steeplechase?
The following is the list of athletes who will be competing in the On Olympic Development Men’s Steeplechase, along with their personal best times:
| Athlete | Personal Bests (PB) |
|---|---|
| Yemane Haileselassie | 8:11.22 |
| Andy Bayer | 8:14.46 |
| Isaac Updike | 8:17.74 |
| Brian Barraza | 8:19.16 |
| Alec Basten | 8:22.22 |
| Jordan Mann | 8:26.65 |
| Jamaine Coleman | 8:27.03 |
| Joey Berriatua | 8:29.03 |
| Brandon Doughty | 8:29.98 |
Haileselassie, who has a personal best time of 8:11.22, is one of the best steeplechase athletes in the world. He finished fifth in the last Olympics in Tokyo and has also finished in the top eight at World Championships, the All-African Games, and the World Cross Country Championships.
In addition, he was a World U-20 Championships silver medalist and is currently ranked 21st in the world in the steeple, having been as high as seventh. Read more: Ajee Wilson and Natoya Goule set for Penn Relays 600m clash
Haileselassie will face stiff competition from the likes of Andy Bayer, Isaac Updike, Brian Barraza, Alec Basten, Jordan Mann, Jamaine Coleman, Joey Berriatua, and Brandon Doughty. Bayer, who has a personal best time of 8:14.46, has been ranked as high as 10th in the world in the steeple and was crowned an NCAA champion in the 1,500m during his time at Indiana University. He has since won the NACAC U23 championships for the 5k and is a two-time steeplechase champion for the NACAC championships.
Updike, who won the Penn Relays steeple title last year with a time of 8:22.96, is ranked 50th in the world and has a personal best time of 8:17.74. Barraza, who enters the field with a personal best mark of 8:19.16, will be looking to make an impact at the event.
The field is rounded out by Basten, Mann, Coleman, Berriatua, and Doughty, all of whom have sub-8:30 times.
The 2023 Penn Relays, which is in its 127th staging, set for April 27-29 at Franklin Field, is the largest track and field event in the country, with over 15,000 athletes competing across three days ranging from high school, college, professional, and masters athletes. Tickets for the event are available for purchase at https://pennathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=PR&linkID=upenn&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=.
