With all the firepower and versatility that UC's deep stable of distance runners possess and the way coach Mike McCabe trains them, they can simply overpower just about any team they lineup against in multiple relay races.
With that in mind and based on their training and workouts, McCabe, after winning the last two 4x800 Championship of America races at the Penn Relays, including a national record last year, felt his squad was ready for a new challenge.
So the Vikings, with three runners from last year's 4x800 in their lineup. focused on the distance medley relay this year, and just like their dominance in the 4x800, UC did what they always do - they absolutely hammered the field with an electrifying and historic wire-to-wire victory at the 129th Penn Relays on Friday at Franklin Field.
This race was over before the first handoff thanks to UC sophomore Sophia Thompson NJ throwing down a 3:28.21 on the 1,200 leadoff leg that buried the competition and proved to be a knockout punch to the other 14 teams in the race. Thompson's aggressive and tenacious style enabled her to build a six second lead.
After Duke-bound Taylor Aska, the lone senior on the DMR, ripped a 54.59 quarter leg, the Vikings had a 15.64 second lead!! That's not a misprint!
At that point, UC was just racing the clock, and they won that battle in heart-pounding fashion.
After junior Jimmiea King (who has run on all 3 Penn Relays championship teams for the UC girls) split 2:20.09 on her 800 carry for UC, sophomore Paige Sheppard, with a seven second lead, immediately attacked the track to extend the lead and she kept pouring it in on lap after lap with the NJ and meet records in her crosshairs. As Sheppard came charging down the final straightaway, the crowd of 34,036 rose to their feet, knowing they were witnessing history.
Sheppard, as she always does, finished with a flourish, stopping the clock at a jaw-dropping 11:24.53, which shattered the NJ and meet records and is No. 4 in U.S. outdoor history! Sheppard, with no one near her, split 4:41.65!!!
UC won the race by a whopping 21+ seconds over runner-up South Lakes of Virginia, second in 11:45.85.
The former meet record was 11:28.86 set in 2012 by Tatnall of Delaware and the former NJ record of 11:32.29 was set by Red Bank Catholic in 2011. UC wasn't very off the national record of 11:20.44, set by Cuthbertson of North Carolina on this track last June at New Balance Nationals. UC will back here in June to take another crack at Cuthbertson's record. at NB Nationals.
UC is the first U.S. girls team to ever win the DMR COA the year after winning the 4x800!!!
"We knew we were ready for this and we did what we came here to do,'' said Aska. "We have so many versatile athletes on our team, sprinters and distance runners, that we are prepared for any race and feel confident in ourselves and one another every time we step on the track.''
The epic DMR win by UC capped an amazing day for the Vikings, who continued to show why the powerhouse program is one of the very best in U.S. history!!!
Earlier on Friday, the UC 4x100, with Aska anchoring, qualified for Saturday's COA. Also on Saturday, the UC 4x400 has a great shot at making the COA final, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
UC pulled off a similar trifecta last year, and are now one step away from doing it again!!!
That's the definition of leveling up!!!
