On big stages, it’s hard to predict performance. Still, B-CC track coaches Chad Young and Nathan Herchenroeder had high hopes for two teams – the boys’ 4 x 400 relay and the girls’ 4 x 800 relay – in last week’s Penn Relays.
They weren’t let down. Both teams rose to the moment.
The boys’ team, in particular, performed beyond expectations, winning their heat in 3 minutes, 26 seconds, their fastest time by eight seconds and perhaps setting a school record, Young said. The four – seniors Terrence James, Nana Twum Agyire, and Trevor Stephens and junior Weyimni Dorsu -- finished 97th out of 568 teams.
The girls’ team also performed well, running 9:37, just two seconds off their best time, and good for 37th out of 71 teams. The team consisted of junior Ava Farrell and sophomores Laura Nakasaka, Caroline Leuba, and Brittney Wade.
Here’s Young’s assessment of the races (he attended the girls’ race last Thursday, while Herchenroeder coached the boys on Saturday):
“Brittney led off, and I warned her about getting out quickly. There were a lot of people in her race so I wanted her to get out fast. She got into second place, ran with a small group of girls, maintained it for most of leg, and finished in her fastest split time, 2:17. Caroline Leuba was next, held the position well, and finished one second off her fastest time, in 2:25. Laura Nakasaka ran 2:31, which was a solid leg, and she competed extremely well and hard. And then Ava ran against the fastest runners generally on teams, the anchors, and she finished in 2:22, her fastest ever on an 800, and passed a couple of people.”
What impressed Young so much was that the underclassmen displayed uncommon poise. He said Wade set the tone.
“She just doesn’t want to lose, and having that attitude as a sophomore is really great,” he said. “Just watching three sophomores and one junior going up against so many upperclassmen was really impressive. They held their own.”
On the boys’ race, Young said it was a special moment for all of them.
“They were determined to make a statement in this meet,” he said. “They were really excited to go and have the opportunity to run there. Nana led off and, just like Brittney, got off the line quickly. He established himself in second place, maintained it and ran 52.41 seconds. Trevor was in third for a split second, made a move, and passed both guys, and handed off in first place, in 52.59. Weyimni, and I know he must have had some pressure on him at this point, the team had the lead, went out hard on his leg, and held first place the whole time. Two guys were creeping up on him, and by the handoff, they were right on him. He finished in 52.17
“TJ kind of let those guys hang around for 200 and he took off as well, and with 150 or so to go, TJ opened a gap for the win, in 49.11.”
How did the boys shave eight seconds off their former record?
“Nathan mentioned they don’t run fresh in the 4 x 4 very often as it’s always the last meet of the day, and it’s usually their own third or fourth event. That’s one big reason. The other reason is that they were really pumped, the adrenaline must have been going, and they really wanted to make a statement. They sure did.”
The next meet is Friday and Saturday for the Katie Jenkins Invitational at Sherwood High School.
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