The Penn Hills girls are golden in the 4x100-meter relay at the WPIAL track and field championships.

The Lady Indians have brought home WPIAL gold in that relay four of the past five years, including the last two in a row. A Penn Hills relay team holds the WPIAL record in the 4x100, set in 2004.

A trio of Penn Hills sprinters have been members of the last two WPIAL championship relays, and they're setting their sights on making it three gold medals in a row.

But seniors Taelor Fowler and Gisele Adanlete and junior Arrie Smith won't settle for just another WPIAL title. They want a PIAA championship, too.

"Obviously, their goal is to win states," Penn Hills track coach Lee Zelkowitz said.

"They'll definitely be one of the favorites going into the state meet."

Last year's PIAA meet ended in disappointment for members of Penn Hills' 4x100 relay.

The Lady Indians were disqualified in the finals because of a bad baton handoff.

Sophomore Lashawna Carter-Sewell and freshman Iman Wilkerson are the leading candidates to fill the final slot in the 4x100 relay.

Relays will be the strength of both Penn Hills teams in 2008.

Besides the 4x100, Penn Hills' girls should be strong in the 4x400 after finishing sixth in the WPIAL in that event last season.

Fowler, Adanlete and sophomores Jordan Lee and Megan Haftl are the likely starting foursome.

On the boys' side, the Indians look solid in all three relays.

The 4x100 relay, the WPIAL runner-up in 2007, returns juniors Stephen Pepper and Dan Mason and sophomore Brandon Ifill.

Ifill also placed fifth in the WPIAL in the 200-meter dash, and Pepper finished 10th in that event.

Penn Hills' 4x400 relay was 18th in the WPIAL last year. Ifill and fellow sophomores Charles Anderson and Micah Murray are expected to take three of the four spots on that relay.

Senior Kent King and sophomores Murray, Anderson and Dorian Rumble make up a promising 4x800 relay.

"Our 4x800 relay jelled well during the indoor season. I believe they can medal high at WPIALs and qualify for states," Zelkowitz said.

"I'd like to take all three relays to states. That's our goal every year, and looking at what we have right now, I feel like we have a good chance of doing it."

Others to watch on the boys' team include senior Tom Pryor (sprints, long jump), senior Alex Rodia (pole vault) and junior Brandon Bailey (sprints, long jump, high jump).

The Penn Hills girls will try to qualify for the WPIAL team playoffs for the sixth year in a row.

Fowler was third in the WPIAL in the 200-meter dash last season, Lee placed third in the 400, and Adanlete came in eighth in the 200. Haftl placed 20th in the 1,600-meter run as a sophomore and could make an impact in the distance events.

Kelly Monteleone was a WPIAL bronze medalist in the triple jump in 2007 and finished ninth in the state.

Penn Hills opens its season Friday by hosting Gateway and Highlands in a Section 4-AAA tri-meet.