Shipley’s Track and Field team made School history by participating for the first time in the historic Penn Relays at Franklin Fields on April 27-29, 2023. This is Shipley's second year with a track and field team, and they were trailblazers as they took on four competitive events.

Although Penn Relays was a new experience for Shipley's student-athletes, their coaches were no strangers to this prestigious event. Shipley's Director of Running, Harry Green, competed at Penn Relays as a Freshman and Senior at the University of Texas. Assistant Varsity Track Coach and Head Middle School Cross Country Coach Julianne Viscardo ran the Penn Relays eight times (four in high school and four in college).

With two highly experienced coaches, Shipley’s Track and Field student-athletes prepared tirelessly for the Penn Relays. Prior to the event, sophomore Sophia Pascale ’25 expressed her excitement, "I am thrilled to compete in this awesome and historical track meet. Penn Relays is a fast track that gives our team the opportunity to achieve school records and hit personal records. I feel honored to be a part of Shipley's first track team attending competitions at Penn Relays, as it is a huge stepping stone for our program. Track is mostly an individual sport, so having the chance to run with teammates is exciting and motivating. Our team has trained so hard all season, and I can't wait for us to experience the electric atmosphere at Franklin Fields together."

This year, Shipley Track raced in four events at Penn Relays: Boys 4x100, Boys 4x400, Girls 4x100, and Girls 4x400.

Shipley's Boys 4x100 team (Matt Spencer '23, Mateo Alvarez '23, Brandon Lee '23, and Christopher Nascimento ‘25) ran a competitive time of 46.3. The Boys 4x400 relay team (Matt Spencer '23, Mateo Alvarez '23, Brandon Lee '23, and Ben Brasfield' 26) landed fourth in their heat and broke a school record (3:43.2). Senior Matt Spencer was the lead-off leg and had to maneuver a dense pack of competitors sprinting for a spot on the rail. Before the race, Matt Spencer said, "I am so eager to run with my teammates at Penn Relays. We have all trained so much, and it is exciting that all of our hard work will be spotlighted."

Over the next two rainy days, Shipley's Girls Relays took to the track to compete. Racing in the 4x100, the Girls’ relay team (Sophia Pascale '25, Katherine Foulke '23, Mallory Farr '23, and Gianna Jackson' 27) had an unlucky hand-off exchange and were unable to finish the race. On Saturday, the Girls’ 4x400 team (Sophia Pascale '25, Katherine Foulke '23, Dagny Shiffler '25, and Ella Viscardo' 27) bounced back and ran an exciting time of 4:19, which was a PR by 10 seconds, and a new school record.

Shipley's Track Team ran with courage and grace and made a memorable first impression at this year's Penn Relay Carnival. Before the races, the team and coaches made a promise to each other: "Focused teammates, committed to run for each other," and that is precisely how they competed.