When the Bangor High School girls 4-by-200-meter relay team huddled before their race at an Eastern Maine Indoor Track League meet last Saturday at the NewBalance Fieldhouse on the University of Maine campus in Orono, they were hoping to run under 1:48.
That would have earned the girls a school, EMITL and facility record for a high school girls 4-by-200 relay team. The record was 1:48.08.
They did much more than that.
Seniors Madeline Thai and JJ Williams and juniors Sophia Chase and Bayley Fryer crossed the finish line in 1:45:88 which also broke the state record and earned the girls a berth in the national track championships at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston on March 13-16.
They needed a time of 1:46.50 to qualify for the nationals according to Thai.
“It’s so special,” said Thai. “We were hoping to take down the facility record. We didn’t know about the state record.
“We ran a lot faster than we expected to. We all put in the work and I think it showed,” Thai added.
“It’s so crazy. I haven’t even wrapped my head around it,” said Fryer. “It’s amazing.
“(Before the race), the mood was just right. We were all so excited and hyped up,” added Fryer.
Fryer ran the anchor leg and as she neared the finish line, the clock showed 1:43.
“I was so happy and excited and then I saw it at 1:45 (as she was crossing the finish line). We were shooting for 1:47. I couldn’t believe it,” said Fryer who added that seeing that 1:43 gave her additional motivation and an extra kick.
“It’s so exciting,” said Williams. “I started track two years ago and never pictured myself setting a state record.”
“Before we ran, we all huddled up and gave each other a pep talk,” said Chase. “We were all feeling really good and we knew what we had to do. We all ran so well.”
“We knew we wanted to do something big and the huddle got us in the right mindset,” said Williams. “But we weren’t expecting that. (Setting a state record) wasn’t on our minds.”
The previous state record of 1:46.89 was set by a team from Cheverus High of Portland in 2017 at the New England championship meet.
“To break a state record is a huge accomplishment and to break it by a second is quite a feat. It was a great effort by them,” said Bangor track coach Al Mosca who also praised sprint coach Garrett Johnson for developing them as well as the other sprinters.
“He does an amazing job. He knows the kids’ strengths and puts them in position to be successful,” said Mosca.
It was only the second time this season they ran the 4-by-200 relay together and the second time they triumphed.
In Saturday’s meet, they took the top four spots in the individual 200 race with Chase winning it followed by Fryer, Williams and Thai. Chase and Williams also finished one-two in the long jump and Fryer won the 55 meter dash. Thai runs the 55-meter dash and the 55-meter hurdles.
The quartet actually already owned a state relay championship as they teamed up to win the 4-by-100-meter relay race in the Class A outdoor state championships last spring.
Williams said having run a relay together last spring was beneficial.
“We’re used to running with each other and we all know how each other runs and that’s definitely a big thing,” said Williams. “It’s definitely a great group. I couldn’t ask for anyone better on that relay. I love them all.”
“It definitely helped. We’re all close friends and we have this dynamic,” said Fryer. “It works so well.”
“Being really good friends helps because we all trust each other. And that’s really good for handoffs,” said Thai. “We know nothing is going to go wrong as long as we trust each other.”
Thai ran the opening leg on Saturday and Chase ran the second one with Williams in the third spot followed by Fryer as the anchor.
Fryer, Williams and Thai have all had a lot of success in the individual 200 meter dash.
Fryer finished second in the 200 at the outdoor A state meet, Williams was fifth and Thai wound up 10th.
Chase finished fifth in the 100-meter and the 300-meter hurdle races and 11th in the long jump at the outdoor states.
Williams was fifth in the long jump and Thai was seventh in the 100 meters with Williams ninth and Fryer 10th.
For Chase and Thai, it will be their second time going to the nationals.
They went to Eugene, Oregon two years ago and teamed up with Anna Connors and Sam Erb to win the 4-by-100 meter relay in the Emerging Elite class. There are two classes, the Championship class for teams with the best times and the Emerging Elite class for teams just a notch below.
It has already been a special year for Williams and Chase, who anchored the back line for the Bangor High soccer team which won the state Class A title.
“It’s been a great senior year,” said Wlliams.
