Track Team Rescue Woman From Burning House

PHILADLEPHIA (AP) _ Four high school athletes sprinted out of a track meet to rescue an elderly woman from a burning home. <br/><br/>Competition was just starting between Germantown High and West Philadelphia

Friday, April 20th 2007, 10:57 am

By: News On 6

PHILADLEPHIA (AP) _ Four high school athletes sprinted out of a track meet to rescue an elderly woman from a burning home.

Competition was just starting between Germantown High and West Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon when several shot putters spotted black smoke rising from a house across the street.

``These young men just took off running,'' said Stephany Tate-Yancey, who coaches the Germantown squad. The teens scaled a fence to reach the burning home.

Germantown team member Dwyne Hall said the teens heard a woman yelling for help and found her on the first floor, trying to get upstairs to find her kittens. He said the athletes _ three from Germantown and one from West Philadelphia _ guided her outside.

One boy gave her his sweat pants and another his sweat shirt to keep her warm, Hall said. Fire officials said the blaze was put out in about 15 minutes.