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BALTIMORE, Md. (April 21, 2026) -- The Morgan State track & field teams are set for a high-stakes weekend as they travel to Philadelphia to compete in the 130th running of the Penn Relays. Held at historic Franklin Field, the prestigious meet provides a premier stage for the Bears to test themselves against some of the nation's top collegiate and professional talent.
Morgan State enters the weekend focused on delivering strong performances, with an emphasis on improving season-best marks and securing qualifying standards ahead of the championship season. The three-day event is expected to feature more than 21,000 athletes representing 28 countries, with competition running from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and concluding with finals on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will be well represented, as Morgan State joins conference foes Coppin State, Delaware State, Howard, North Carolina Central, Norfolk State, and Maryland Eastern Shore. The league will be challenged by a loaded field that includes nationally ranked programs such as Arizona State, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Houston, TCU, Oregon, Penn State, and Virginia, making for a highly competitive atmosphere.
Following the Penn Relays, the Bears will make their final preparations at the Maryland Kehoe Invitational in College Park, Maryland, before shifting focus to the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for May 14–16 at Dick Price Stadium on the campus of Norfolk State in Norfolk.
Morgan State brings a rich tradition into the Penn Relays, having captured 16 championships in program history, including 12 on the men's side. The men's last titles came in 1984 with victories in the 4x200-meter relay (1:22.49) and shuttle hurdles relay (56.27). The women's last championship came in 1986 in the 4x100-meter relay, an event that accounts for three of the Lady Bears' four all-time titles.
At last year's Penn Relays, Morgan State's historic 1950 record-breaking 4x440-yard Championship of America relay team was inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame. The legendary quartet—Samuel LaBeach, Robert Tyler, William Brown, and George Rhoden—cemented their place in history with a performance that remains one of the program's most celebrated achievements. Read up here.
Sam Lacy is seen here speaking with members of the Morgan State College relay team known as the "Historic Four."
Bill Brown (second from left), Robert "Bob" Tyler (third from left), Sam LaBeach (second from right), George Rhoden (far right).
First held in 1895, the Penn Relays is the longest continuously running collegiate track meet in the United States. The event annually draws more than 100,000 spectators and over 22,000 participants from high schools and colleges across the country and around the world, cementing its status as one of the premier showcases in track & field.
For more information, go to www.thepennrelays.com.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
