PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Paige Sheppard became just the fourth girl to earn the Outstanding Athlete of the Meet for Relay Events in back-to-back years at the Penn Relays!
The sophomore star at Union Catholic earned the award by anchoring UC to a meet record and NJ record 11:24.53 in Friday's Distance Medley Championship of America race when she split 4:41.65 at historic Franklin Field at the 129th running of the world's largest relay carnival. UC's time of 11:24.53 is No. 4 in U.S. history.
Sheppard, who anchored UC to a national record victory in the 4x800 COA last year, came back on Saturday to run the third leg on UC's 4x00 relay squad that placed sixth in 3:43. 66 in the Championship of America race.
The other three multiple winners of the award are Angel Patterson of William Penn in Pa. (1996-97), Tasha Stanley of Eleanor Roosevelt in Maryland (2007-08) and Olivia Baker of Columbia in NJ (2013-14).
Sheppard's back-to-back awards gives Union Catholic five of the last seven winners of the Outstanding Athlete of the Meet for Relay Events.
In addition to Sheppard's 2, Peyton Hollis won it in 2023 and world record holder and 4-time Olympian Sydney McLaughlin received the honor in 2017