With just a few days remaining until the 128th edition of the Penn Relays, anticipation continues to build following the recent announcement of the Toyota men’s and women’s High Jump fields.
Among the featured athletes in the lineups is two-time Olympian Vashti Cunningham, who will lead the women’s contingent. The 2024 Penn Relays are slated for April 25-27 at Franklin Field.
Highlighted by Cunningham’s inclusion, the Olympic Development high jump competitions promise to deliver a fascinating spectacle for fans in attendance. Both events will take place simultaneously on the infield adjacent to the Penn Relays Wall of Fame on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
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Cunningham, a seasoned competitor at global championships for the USA, secured a sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and claimed the 11th spot during her debut Olympic outing in Rio.
Currently ranked seventh globally, has a personal best of 2.02m, and certainly has set her sights on the upcoming Summer Games in Paris.
A dominant force in the high jump discipline, Cunningham has won the US national championship since 2016, collecting an impressive tally of 14 national titles across both indoor and outdoor competitions.
In addition to her Olympic achievements, she clinched a World Indoor title in 2016 and secured a third-place finish at the World Outdoor Championships in 2019.
In the meantime, on the men’s side, Darius Carbin and Earnest Sears start as frontrunners and hold the top personal bests of respective marks of 2.30m within a competitive field representing five nations.
Carbin, the former Georgia Bulldog, concluded his collegiate career in 2022 as a four-time All-American in the high jump and a two-time SEC champion.
Meanwhile, Sears, a graduate of USC in 2022, clinched multiple Pac-12 titles and won a silver medal at the NACAC U23 Championships in 2019.
Over 15,000 athletes are set to compete at the 2024 Penn Relays across three days in the high school, college, professional, and masters categories.
2024 Penn Relays High Jump Startlist
Women’s High Jump Field
NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST
Vashti Cunningham USA 2.02m
Jelena Rowe USA 1.96m
Kimberly Williamson Jamaica 1.93m
Abigail Kwarteng Ghana 1.92m
Zarriea Willis USA 1.89m
Mercedeez Francis USA 1.87m
Sanaa Barnes USA 1.87m
Men’s High Jump Field
NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST
Darius Carbin USA 2.30m
Earnest Sears USA 2.30m
Tejaswin Shankar India 2.29m
Jonas Wagner Germany 2.28m
Roberto Vilches Mexico 2.27m
Lushane Wilson Jamaica 2.26m
Ethan Harris USA 2.26m
Kyle Rollins USA 2.25m
Tony Jones USA 2.21m
Vashti Cunningham to compete at the 2024 Penn Relays. Photo: Brandon Lindner
