Will Sheila Reid Finally Get Her Penn Relays Watch?

Sheila Reid Still Missing A Penn Relays Watch

ONE LAST RACE FOR SHEILA REID TO WIN
Frank Bertucci


Villanova's Sheila Reid has won just about everything she could in her collegiate career, NCAA individual and team championships in cross country, the NCAA distance medley relay championship indoors, the improbable 1,500/5,000 double at last year's NCAA outdoor championships.

Everything but a Penn Relays watch, that is.

And now she has one last shot at that as a Villanova senior.

"It shows how difficult it is to win at Penn," she said. "It says something that I could win a national championship, but not (win) at Penn."

Reid will be the anchor on at least two distance relays at the 118th annual Penn Relay Carnival on April 26, 27, 28 at Franklin Field. She'll run the 1,600-meter leg on the distance medley on Thursday, and the last 1,500 meters on the 4x1,500 relay on Friday, with a possibility of running a 4x800 relay leg on Saturday.

And beyond Penn and her last NCAA championship meet this spring, there's the possibility of representing Canada in the Olympic Games in London in August.

"I would prefer the 1500 if I had the chance, but I'll try to get the (Olympic A standard) time in the 5,000," she said.



Reid took off the collegiate indoor season, with only eligibility left for this outdoor season.

"I looked forward to a break, but once I saw races and saw results I started getting antsy," she admitted. "I ran one race, a 3,000 at the Armory (in New York) and won. But I was training really hard, and hope that pays off later in the season."

And is another run at the 1,500/5,000 double on her schedule?

"I think they made it more difficult this year. They might both be on the same day," she said. "But I'd love to repeat."

But first, there's one last Penn Relays as a Villanova runner. The last Wildcat women's team to win a Championship of America relay at Penn was the 2006 DMR. And in this year's distance medley, it could come down to the anchor leg.

"Penn's (Villanova's) home turf," Reid said. "It will come down to who wants it the most."

Expect that to be Sheila Reid.