PHILADELPHIA – For the 23rd time in Villanova track and field history, the men’s 4xMile team will bring a wheel back to campus. Marco Langon ran a blazing 3:55.94 as the anchor leg, outkicking Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum, to help the team to a winning time of 16:18.47 on day three of Penn Relays.
“Today I wasn’t Marco Langon, I was a Villanova athlete, and I was on a mission to get a wheel for my teammates,” Langon said. “I wanted to win this wheel forever.”
Fifth-year Sean Donoghue ran a 4:13.98 as the first leg of the 4xMile to put Villanova at fourth place for the first exchange. Sophomore Ben Thomas came next, splitting 4:11.61 and junior Bailey Habler ran a personal best of 3:56.94 as the third leg.
“Today was my chance to prove to them that I’m on that level as those guys from Oregon, Virginia, everywhere,” Habler said. “If I had anyone to anchor this team, it’d be Marco’s. One day I’m best mates with Marco, the next day I hate him, next day I’m his best friend.”
For the final kick, Langon managed to move up three places to claim the wheel. Prior to leaving campus, Langon walked into Jake Nevin Fieldhouse and through the hallway that displays with more than 120 past Penn Relays wheels on the wall.
Langon found the first wheel Villanova ever won in the 1932 mile relay, kissed it, said a prayer and left for Franklin Field.
“I reminded him I lost this race my senior year on Friday, and we came back and we won on this,” head coach Marcus O’Sullivan said. “It was… like history repeating itself. I think there’s so many similarities that you can draw from history to encourage them and to give them confidence.”
The prior day, Langon, as well Thomas, Ethan Walls and Dan Watcke fell just short of Oregon in the men’s DMR. The Ducks crossed the line 9:32.08, while Villanova was right behind in 9:32:18. Once again, it came down to Langon and Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum.
“I wasn’t gonna leave this program without anchoring a wheel of my own and being a part of it with these guys I train with every day, argue with every day,” Langon said. “We have so many emotions with these guys because they’re my brothers… we want the best for each other.”
The men’s win in the 4xMile mirrored O’Sullivan’s own redemption in his final Penn Relays. Langon purposefully threw his arms above his head at the finish line, imitating the same pose as O’Sullivan when he crossed the line back in 1984.
The women’s 4×1500-meter relay team claimed a third-place finish with a time of 17:19.34.
Sophomore Rosie Shay was the leadoff leg running a 4:19. Next up, fifth-year Nikki Vanasse ran 4:24. In the third leg, junior Tilly O’Connor ran the fastest split for the ‘Cats at 4:16.
At the anchor, sophomore Bella Walsh ran 4:18. Walsh overtook Virginia’s Stella Kermes in the second lap, but failed to keep up in the remaining 800 meters.
“I think it was a little bit soon for me to pass her because I lost her a little bit at the end,” Walsh said. “For the most part, I’m happy that we were able to make up for the lost distance. I think that we put up a good fight.”
After a dive at the third exchange that landed him in the hospital on Friday, sophomore Ty Hoffman led his team to the 4×400-meter finals. Saturday, the team received third place in the college section final of the men’s 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:15.06. The team consisted of freshman Andy Geiser, sophomore Liam Gluck, senior Jimmy Milgie and junior Ethan Walls.
The Villanova track and field alumni also put on a strong performance. Charlie O’Donovan ‘24 won the Men’s Olympic Development Mile in 3:59.61.
“It felt surreal being on the infield getting ready to run and watching the guys who I know so well of the teammates with all of them at one point and won relays before,” O’Donovan said.
McKenna Keegan ’22 and Lizzie Martell ’26 went one and two in the women’s Olympic Development 800-meter with times of 2:01.41 and 2:03.93, respectively. Martell and Keegan are currently training partners. Martell opted to represent USA instead of Villanova, because she is currently appealing to the NCAA to finish her fifth and final year of eligibility with the Wildcats.
“I think the cherry on top was getting to race with McKenna,” Martell said. “I started going to that backstretch, I was like, we could be one-two, like my training partner could win, I could get second.”
Villanova track and field will return at Princeton University next weekend. The Larry Ellis Invitational is a two-day meet that will kick off on Friday, May 1 in NJ.
