PENN RELAYS

PHILADELPHIA – Marion Jones anchored the United States’ red team to a pair of victories at yesterday’s Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania, the first time she’d represented her country outdoors in almost two years.

But no amount of winning seems to be enough to quiet the steroid questions hovering over her.

Jones anchored a 42.33-second victory in the 4 x 100, and came back an hour later to anchor a 1:29.40 win in the 4 x 200. And while the 49,441 at Franklin Field just wanted to see her sprint, the questions she faced afterward were about BALCO, the Bay Area lab in the center of the steroid scandal, and a recent report.

The report asserted that a check for $7,350 – mentioned in a government affidavit – was written to BALCO’s founder from Jones’ bank account. Jones, still rounding into shape after maternity, denied wrongdoing.

“I never signed, endorsed, agreed upon or sent any check to BALCO,” Jones insisted. “I never signed, agreed, saw, sent or knew about it. I can’t say what it might have been for. I don’t know. I never knew anything about the check.”

The story said the signature belonged to Jones’ former husband, C.J. Hunter. The shot-putter was banned from the 2000 Olympics after testing positive four times for nandrolone. He and Jones later divorced, and she claimed yesterday that she hasn’t been in touch with him.

“I’m going to let the judicial process do what it’s supposed to do and I’m confident in the near future my name will be cleared from this whole situation,” Jones said. “If you . . . look at my improvement, when I’ve run fast and run slow, it’s all in line with an athlete that’s working hard and incredibly talented.”

Jones’ decision to work with coach Charlie Francis – who gave Ben Johnson steroids, and was banned in Canada – brought her under fire. She ran just fourth in the 200 at last weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays, her first 200 loss since 1997.