Tangwar to Compete in Prestigious Penn Relays
4/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 23, 2008
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Freshman women's distance runner Emily Tangwar of the USC Upstate women's track and field team will be competing on Thursday at 10 p.m. in the women's 10,000 meters at one of the most prestigious track and field meets in the United States, the Penn Relays.
Tangwar, a native of Eldoret, Kenya, is the first Upstate athlete to be accepted to compete in the Penn Relays, which is longest uninterrupted college track meet in the country. The first Penn Relays occurred in 1895.
"I am very honored to run in the Penn Relays," Tangwar said. "This is my first time competing in the 10,000 meters and I want to do the best I can in this meet."
Tangwar has enjoyed a memorable 2007-08 in her first season on both the USC Upstate women's cross country and women's track and field teams. She finished second in the women's run at the Atlantic Sun Conference Cross Country Championships, earning All-Conference honors and the Women's Freshman of the Year Award. During the indoor track season, she won three events, the women's mile run, 3000 meters and 5000 meters, at the A-Sun Indoor Track Championships and was named Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer and Women's Most Outstanding Freshman.
So far in the outdoor season, Tangwar has won two events including the women's 3000 meters at the 49er Classic and the women's 1500 meters at the Furman Invitational. She has also finished three other times in the top 10 in several events.
"With USC Upstate being in its first year in Division I, it's only fitting that we can send one of our best athletes to compete one of the biggest track and field events in the world," USC Upstate assistant track and field coach Ed Schlichter said. "The Penn Relays is like the Super Bowl or the Daytona 500 of track and field and it's very exciting that Emily's competing in it."
Over 292 colleges and 941 high schools will be competing at the 2008 Penn Relays along with possible Olympic hopefuls who are looking to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials and compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. More athletes have run in the Penn Relays than at any other single meet in the world and the only meets that have been more watched in the world are the Olympics and the World Championships.
If you would like to learn more about the Penn Relays, click here.
