If there was any doubt who the greatest sprinter in Pennsylvania state history was, Thelma Davies made sure to erase any of those thoughts at her final indoor state meet.
The Girard College senior set a pair of state records, running to wins in the 60 meters and the 200 meters at Penn State University on Sunday for the PTFCA Indoor State Championships. Davies went 7.31 in the 60 and then came back to run 23.51 in the 200 meters.
Davies completed an historic four-peat in the 60 meters. She won indoor state titles in the event as a freshman, sophomore, junior, and now a senior.
It didn't come without a challenge, though. Freshman Fore Abinusawa of Germantown Academy gave Davies all she could handle. But in a close one at the line, Davies pulled out the win in 7.31, a time that breaks the all-time PA state record, held by Davies and Abinusawa at 7.33. It puts her now at US#2. Abinusawa crossed a close second in 7.32, the second fastest time ever by a PA runner in the 60.
Abinusawa had the early advantage off the line, but Davies never wavered, coming back to take the race in a photo finish.
Davies came back in the 200 meters, another event that figured to be close between her, Abinusawa, and 400 meter state champ Talitha Diggs. Here, Davies turned the race into a runaway. She clocked a 23.51, breaking the 2016 state record of 23.74, formerly held by Kouri Peace. It's a current US#2 and Davies' third straight indoor state title in the event.
With outdoors on the horizon, Davies will look to complete four-peats in both the 100 and 200 meters at the PIAA State Championships in Class AA. Before that, though, is New Balance Nationals Indoor, where she'll chase some more fast times and possibly a national title or two.
Watch race videos above and check out a post-race interview with Davies below:
