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On December 12, 2024, the Philadelphia Public League, joined by their Catholic League counterparts, kicked off their indoor track season at the brand-new, state-of-the-art Ott Center, located on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
While it’s not quite a “man-on-the-moon” moment, this milestone represents a huge leap forward for local athletes. Gone are the days of long, icy trips to upstate Pennsylvania, New York, or Maryland for indoor meets. For the first time, Philadelphia runners have a world-class venue right in their backyard.
The Ott Center provides a true home-field advantage, and it’s already sparking excitement among athletes and coaches who anticipate fast times on its track later this season. But on December 12, the spotlight belonged to District 12—and they delivered a thrilling show.
Over 36 public, Catholic, and charter schools competed, with athletes going head-to-head on the track and in the field events. The evening kicked off with the girls’ 60-meter dash, where Zeinab Doumbia of Palumbo narrowly edged out Kai Oliver of Girls’ High in a photo finish, clocking 8.04 and 8.06 seconds, respectively.
The crowd buzzed early when standout senior Shaun McCoullum took the line in the boys’ 60-meter dash. Although James King took the victory in a swift 6.92 seconds, McCoullum wasn’t done. He returned later in the evening, ready to make a statement in the 200 meters.
Next were the 60 meter hurdles the winner from the women goes went to Amarah Crabbe from West Catholic while the boys winner was Corey Demas from Archbishop Ryan
Next were the first shot at relays as Imhotep stood out winning both the male and female 4×800 as well as the boys 4×400
The 4×200 were split however as John Bartram High School girls won in a time of 1:50.79 as the boys of Northeast won with a time of 1:33.10.
