North Carolina
North Carolina Track And Field Stars Win At Penn Relays Year After Wreck – FloTrack
North Carolina track and field teammates Will Coogan and Patrick Anderson, a little more than a year after a near-fatal car accident, made headlines with their performances Thursday in the College Men’s 5,000-Meter Championship at the 2024 Penn Relays.
The teammates finished first (13:52.60) and third (13:53.86), respectively, in the opening heat of the three-heat event at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia and went on to finish in those spots once the nearly 70 athletes had crossed the finish line.
Coogan and Anderson were two of five team members traveling to practice together, when the vehicle crashed and flipped, before coming to rest in a ditch. Both were seriously injured, with Anderson nearing dying from his injuries, which included shattering the bones in his face.
The lengthy recovery and rehabilitation process meant Coogan and Anderson both had to miss the cross country season in the fall, but they both showed Thursday night how far they’ve come.
It was a huge statement at one of the world’s oldest and largest meets and a great gauge of their progress with the 2024 ACC Outdoor Championships just a couple weeks away.
The 2024 Penn Relays is the 128th edition of the event, which first was held in 1895. It now welcomes more than 15,000 athletes of all ages and skill levels (high school, college, Special Olympics, professional/elite and Masters).
Watch Will Coogan Win College Men’s 5000M Championship At 2024 Penn Relays
61 seconds over the final 400 meters for Will Coogan!@UNCTrack_Field‘s Coogan put a gap on the field to win the collegiate men’s 5,000m in 13:52.60.#PennRelays | @pennrelays pic.twitter.com/iJA7dNMggz
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) April 26, 2024
College Men’s 5000m Championship Results
- Will Coogan (North Carolina) – 13:52.60
- Hunter Christopher (Youngstown State) – 13:53.37
- Patrick Anderson (North Carolina) – 13:53.86
- Travis Martin (UConn) – 13:55.22
- Micah Wilson (Wisconsin) – 13:55.87
- David Vorbach (N.C. State) – 13:56.04
- Samuel Whittaker (Central Connecticut) – 13:58.24
- Taonga Mbambo (La Salle) – 13:59.56
- Alec Sauter (UConn) – 14:03.89
- Jack Gregorski (Princeton) – 14:04.69
How To Watch The 2024 Penn Relays
The 2024 Penn Relays is streaming in the United States on FloTrack and the FloSports app. Meet replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms.
FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year
Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.
Get More Penn Relays News At MileSplit
Don’t miss any high school track and field coverage at the Penn Relays and throughout the season from our partners at MileSplit.
FloTrack Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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