Villanova

Villanova men's track coach Marcus O'Sullivan joked that the victory by the Wildcats' women in the distance medley relay on the opening day of the Penn Relays took a little heat off his team. But it's the Penn Relays, and the Wildcats are expected to perform well. That's something both the men and women did Friday in their races although they fell short of victory. The men got a terrific anchor leg from freshman Jordy Williamsz in the men's DMR but wound up second to Penn State.

Villanova had pointed for almost seven weeks to this race - the women's distance medley relay at the Penn Relays Carnival. The Wildcats had suffered a disappointing loss to Michigan in the event at the NCAA indoor championships and wanted to make amends. Great idea, but there was a hitch: Michigan decided not to compete in Thursday's race at Franklin Field. Villanova's response: no problem. With Nicky Akande blowing the race open on the third leg, and anchor Emily Lipari running comfortably and confidently, the Wildcats picked up a decisive victory in 10 minutes, 58.84 seconds.

THERE WAS a time when it seemed as if Villanova's women won just about every race they entered at the Penn Relays. Particularly, the distance medley. From, 1984-97, they won it nine times. Then, not so much. Last April, they finished first for the first time since 2006, and 11th time overall. Yesterday afternoon, they took the opening day's marquee event once again, easily, for their first repeat in nearly 2 decades. "It's always a thrill," said coach Gina Procaccio, who was part of the '87 victory.

WITH THE departure of 6-10 senior Mouphtaou Yarou, who averaged 9.9 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, Villanova's basketball team needed to add a big man. Especially since 6-11 Daniel Ochefu, who averaged 3.5 and 4.1 in just under 18 minutes a game as a freshman, remained the only player on the roster over 6-6. Well, the Wildcats got some help Tuesday afternoon, when former Lower Merion High 6-8 power forward Darryl Reynolds, who is completing a...

Former Lower Merion boys' basketball player Darryl Reynolds commits to Villanova. Sports, D2 .

The competition to earn a spot on the Villanova teams that will compete in this week's Penn Relays is just as intense as the competition on the Franklin Field track, minus, of course, the screaming crowds and the call of the race by the public-address announcer. The head coaches of the Wildcats' track and field programs, Marcus O'Sullivan (men) and Gina Procaccio (women), know the pressure of running in the Penn Relays when you are wearing a Villanova singlet, having dealt with that as athletes and coaches.

VILLANOVA'S FOOTBALL team has almost every ingredient back, led by national Freshman of the Year quarterback John Robertson, from a group that won eight games and made it back to the FCS playoffs after a 1-year absence. The Wildcats will be ranked high, with the return of explosive sophomore slot receiver Abdur-Rahman, who missed last season after being suspended by the university for his role in an off-campus incident. That doesn't guarantee anything. It just means ambitious expectations, especially for a club with only six senior starters.

Tony Chennault was excited to come home last season and play right away for Villanova, particularly after he received a hardship waiver from the NCAA after transferring from Wake Forest to be closer to his ill mother. But after one season in which he saw action in all 34 games with the Wildcats but never as a starter, Chennault has decided he will transfer again. Coach Jay Wright made the announcement Thursday. "We are going to miss Tony," he said in a statement. "He was a major part of our run for the NCAA tournament last season.