Boys 4x400 Team Wins First at Penn Relays

It’s what Masters’ boys 4x400 relay carried into the 130th Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Saturday, April 25.

And in the end, it made all the difference.

The quartet delivered a stellar 3:21.71 time, capturing first place in the High School Boys’ Prep School Division.

“As cliché as it sounds, confidence is key, and that's what we all had as we walked onto that track,” junior standout Henry Frasca said. “Winning last year in the 4x400 as well as the 4x100 for the Prep Division gave us a lot of confidence going into this race. 

“All the guys on the relay have been working double time in order to deliver another performance like last year. Luckily, we did. But we didn't just count on last year for our drive. For the past couple months, our relay team has been training through every meet and every race in order to perfect our ability to simply just race.”

Mason Rosenblatt ’27, Khair Parris ’27 and David Morris ’27 rounded out the relay for the Panthers, who missed tying the school record by just one second. 

The performance was good for 41st overall at the prestigious event, which featured more than 500 teams from around the United States and the Caribbean. 

Even more impressive, Masters overcame challenging race logistics. After learning the event would use a waterfall start — placing all 16 teams in a single race instead of the typical six to nine per heat — the Panthers adjusted their relay order.

“The reason this is important to note is that a large part of whether we were going to win or not depended on whether we could get out first,” Frasca said. “To make matters worse, we switched up our relay order, and everyone was running a leg they usually don't.”

Frasca ran the opening leg instead of the usual starter, Rosenblatt, due to his familiarity with a standing start — and it paid off for the Panthers.

“I had to fend off a bunch of eager runners. Luckily, like we practiced, I blasted out into first. Handing it off to Mason, I knew we had a great shot at winning. Our lead just grew and grew with Khair and David, and then it became less of a race to win but more against the clock.”

Masters head coach Ian Mook soaked in the moment as his team captured another piece of hardware to put in the trophy case at 49 Clinton Avenue. 

“Tens of thousands of athletes head to Penn Relays every year, and very few leave with the prized Penn Relays Wheel,” Mook said. “While our athletes are running down on the track, I stand up in the bleachers with thousands of other athletes, coaches and fans. I, of course, spend their race yelling and cheering for them at the top of my lungs, and it's always amazing the number of other fans and coaches standing nearby who congratulate me on my team's performance. Our boys 4x400 ran a top time, not just among private schools, but among all 500+ teams from around the country and internationally who competed in the 4x400 at the meet. I am incredibly proud of our athletes.”