Julia David-Smith and Josephine Welin represented the University of Washington on April 23 during the first day of the 2026 Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
The event marks an early highlight for Washington Huskies Track & Field as athletes begin their outdoor season competition. The performances on Thursday set the stage for more team events later in the week.
David-Smith finished sixth in her heat of the women’s 1,500-meter race, clocking a time of 4:16.18. In another strong showing, Welin achieved a personal record in the women’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:13.17, improving her previous best by about twenty seconds.
Friday’s schedule will feature both men’s and women’s distance medley relay teams from Washington competing for the Championship of America titles. The women’s relay is scheduled to start at 11:25 a.m. Pacific time, followed by the men’s relay at 11:40 a.m.
The Penn Relays continue through Saturday with additional events and opportunities for collegiate athletes to compete on one of track and field’s historic stages.
