4 x 800 Meter Relay State Champions!

Congratulations to the State Champion relay team of Captain Anna V., Laila G., Anna G., and Tillie K. who on Saturday ran the fastest combined time in the 4 x 800 meter relay to earn their medals and the admiration of their competitors. Racing in the first event of a day that involved almost 1000 competitors, Anna V. ran an awesome first leg of the relay and turned over a 20 meter lead to Laila, who extended the lead with a tremendous sprint at the end of her 800 meters, passing the baton to Anna G., who ran away from the competition to give Tillie an 80 meter lead, which Tillie extended even further with with a blistering final 800 meters. The win was even more impressive because, with three 5th Graders on the team, they were racing predominately against seasoned and stronger 7th and 8th Graders. Anna V. followed up later in the meet with a 5th place win and a medal in the 1600 meters (the metric mile), duplicating her finish and her time from last year despite focusing on ultimate frisbee this spring. Luke S. turned in impressive performances in the 1600 meters and the 800 meters, close to his fastest times of the season and the fourth sixth grader in both events. Maribel S. stood ready to run as the alternate on the relay team in case somebody got injured, and ran a personal record later in the meet in the 800 meters, with the only 6th Graders in Connecticut ahead of her being her classmates Tillie and Anna. Tillie finished behind only one 6th Grader and the rest all 7th and 8th Graders. Anna ran her personal best after managing the congestion that occurs in track racing. Laila G., in the long-jump competition, broke her own record twice during the competition, finishing as the first fifth grader with only four 6th graders ahead of her, boding well for the future. While racing for Litchfield Track Club on weekends, the athletes have been devoted to Country School tennis and ultimate frisbee this season and have been training Wednesdays and Sundays as they now head into the summer with other cross-country teammates to prepare for the fall competition.