The West Chester Henderson girls go 10-for-10 in medals with their 3-for-3 relay medal performance at PTFCA States on Feb 25. And that could mean more great things this spring.
Spring track's going to be pretty exciting for the members of the West Chester Henderson girls team.
After winning the AAA 4x100, taking third in the 4x400 and seventh in the 4x800 at last spring's PIAA Class AAA championships, the girls spent the winter accumulating top state times in all of the indoor relays.
That includes the 4x200, 4x400, 4x800 and distance medley relays before the squad medaled in the first three at the indoor state meet. The DMR wasn't contested at the PTFCA indoor championship. The PTFCA announced Monday that it will be next winter.
"They're feeling even better about going into outdoors this year," said head girls coach Bill Lott.
And they should as Lott reported that last year's relays tallied 18 points at the outdoor meet, good enough to help lift Henderson to a third place overall team finish. But that result followed an indoor championship where only some of the relays won medals.
"The neat thing was the girls who didn't cash in last year were generally happy for the other girls," Lott said. "... This year, that didn't happen." That's because Lott, who only coaches girls cross country and track, took 10 girls to the indoor state meet at Penn State and all 10 came back with medals. Note: the performance earned Lott 2006 Indoor Women's Coach of the Year honors from the PTFCA.
In the relays, Henderson took fourth in the 4x200 and 4x400 and third in the 4x800. Heading into the meet the relays were ranked fourth, fourth and first, respectively, in the state. The DMR ran the second fastest time for the winter.
Meet times for the relays were: 1:44.79 (4x200), 9:27.66 (4x800), and 4:00.37 (4x400). The 4x200 was their best for the season, while in the 4x400 they had run 3:58.31 a week earlier at the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame meet at the Armory in NY, and on the same date, a PA-season-best of 9:23.27 in the 4x800. Their other two relays finished the season with the 4th best times in the state.
Leading the way for the 4x200 and the 4x400 were Nicole Powell and Richelle Adams, two sophomores who Lott refers to as his "book ends." Powell was the lead off for both relays and Adams was the anchor.
"Nicole, she's becoming exceptional," he said. "She's really matured a lot. ... She moved up to the 400 and realized she was ready for it.
"Richelle has always been really talented since she was in middle school but has kept a low profile," Lott continued. "She had the chance to run the 400 at states but opted out to run the relays. She's the kind of kid who loves to anchor."
But not at first. "When I was first told [freshman year] I was going to be anchor I was scared," Adams said. "But my mom and dad told me I could do it and I knew I had to step up."
Now she thrives in the role. "I think before really focusing on the individual events you think about teammates first," she said. "If you need to drop out of an individual event that's what you do."
Likewise Powell thrives on being the lead off. "You want to do the best to improve for each other," she said. "Being part of two relay teams is tough because we know what we have to do and if you mess up you have three other people to face. You prove yourself more and it brings you together" with your teammates.
Joining the pair on the 4x200 were freshman Anne Gregory and senior Jasmine Jones. On the 4x400 were Gregory and Rachel Rosenthal. Rosenthal also had her hands full as she was the lead off for the 4x800 and had to almost immediately check in for the 4x400 after 4x800 anchor Megan Durke, a senior, crossed the line. Also on the 4x800 were juniors Jackie Merrick and Amy Jordan.
"It was a good way to end the season," Rosenthal said.
The 4x200 goes first in the relays at States, taking 4th in 1:44.79, a season best and 4th best in PA for 2006.
The 4x800 goes next, taking 3rd in 9:27.55. Their Feb 18 9:23.27 was a PA best for 2006.
The 4x400 goes first, taking 3rd in 4:00.37. Their Feb 18 3:58.31 was 4th best for 2006 in PA.
