It was a race for the ages!
Union Catholic vs. Cuthbertson of North Carolina was the fastet 4x800-meter relay showdown in US high school indoor history as the two powerhouse squads slugged it out for 16 unforgettable laps at the New Balance National Championships on Sunday in Boston.
The race was so fast that Union Catholic ran more than three seconds faster than the national record and didn't win!
That's right, UC ran 8:48.68 and placed second to Cuthbertson, who stopped the clock at 8:48.02!! Those are the two fastest times ever run indoors by high school girls teams. The previous national indoor record of 8:51.93 was set last year by Ann Arbor of Michigan when it won the NB National title at the NY Armory. Union Catholic's 8:48.86 also shattered its own state record of 8:53.69 that it ran to place second to Ann Arbor last year.
The splits for Union Catholic were 2:15.47 for senior Maameyaa Nyinah, 2:10.61 for junior Peyton Hollis, 2:14.00 for freshman Jimmiea King, and 2:08.75 for Kaleigh Gunsiorowski. The splits by King and Gunsiorowski were huge PR's.
The Union Catholic girls finished the NB National meet with two state records (4x800 and 4x200), one national title (shuttle hurdles) and 13 All-American finishes.
Looking ahead, the outdoor national 4x800 record is 8:43.12, which was set by Eleanor Roosevelt of Maryland at the 2008 Penn Relays. That record could be toast if Cuthbertson and Union Catholic square off at the Penn Relays next month or at the New Balance Nationals in June.
Time will tell!