PHILADELPHIA – Competing in the Penn Relays for the first time in their lives, Coppin State’s Alexis Marsh, Miriam Ekwuru and Randi Bohler had a better vision of the conditions they’d be greeted with.

“When I had the picture of Penn Relays in my head, it was nice weather, sunny and hot,” Marsh said.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature refused to make that fantasy a reality on the opening day of the 121st annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus Thursday afternoon. Instead of tropical conditions, the Eagles battled the rough elements of overcast skies, a brisk autumn wind and drops of rain as they struggled to stay warm in the paddock and on the track.

Despite the tough weather, the Eagles’ 4x100-meter relay team of junior Tanaya Yarde, Bohler, Marsh and Ekwuru was fourth in its heat in a time of 48.25 seconds. The ultra-competitive Eagles weren’t pleased with their effort, but considering the windy conditions, the effort wasn’t bad. Two of the nation’s top 4x1 teams, LSU and Oregon, didn’t finish the race as well as they had baton exchange issues.

Yarde also shined in the 400-meter hurdles, winning her heat and finishing ninth overall in the event in a time of 1:00.97. The school-record holder in the 400-meter hurdles has the best time of any Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) athlete in the event. Running with a focused façade and gracefully sailing over the hurdles like a gazelle, Yarde had plenty in the tank to finish the race strong.

Hopefully the weather will be better for NCAA Division I Indoor All-American and five-time MEAC champion Deandra Daniel when she competes in the College Women’s High Jump championship at 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.