Watson Drives Home A National Record In Driving Rain
Rush Henrietta Sperry (NY) didn’t just break the national record in the sprint medley relay on Saturday, it simply destroyed it.
The foursome of freshman Lanae-Laura Thomas, senior Tori Thompson, junior Ceara Watson and senior Sammy Watson combined for a winning time of 3:47.65 at the New Balance Nationals, more than three-seconds faster than the existing record, set last year by Columbia (NJ). It was a comfortable 75 meters ahead of runner-up Oak Park (MI).
The New York-based squad was also the indoor national titlists this past winter.
“We were just looking for a national title,” said 800-meter anchor Sammy Watson. “We weren’t really worried about the time. The main thing was to get the title.”
With a close battle between Oak Park entering the final leg, Watson secured the crown for her teammates with a blistering 2:03.08 for her two-lapper.
“That came from determination and hard work,” she said. “I wanted it really bad and it’s the last race with my sister (Ceara) so I wanted to do it for her.”
Thomas, who again is just a ninth-grader, ran her opening 200m leg at 24.6. Thompson clocked 24.8 for her 200m split.
“I was never really that worried (at leadoff) because they’re my teammates and I know my teammates will never let me down or I would never let my teammates down,” Thomas said, “I was like just go. Just hand it off in first and let them do their thing.”
“When I was coming around the backstretch my coach was you either got to hand it off even or ahead,” Thompson said. “I was like I got to go.”
Ceara Watson knew what she had to do before putting the baton in her sister’s hand.
“I was just thinking I got to go,” she said. “I didn’t want to let my team down. I wanted to win.”
In the boys’ sprint medley, the Milford Mills (MD) quartet of senior Jonathan Johnson, junior Dana Jackson, senior Corey Wilds and senior Jordan Leon took the gold with a time of 3:24.46.
Leon, the Maryland squad’s 800m anchor, split 1:49.18. He offset an equally-impressive 800m time of 1:50.77 by senior Marc Rienas of eventual second-place finisher Old Tappan (NJ), which was timed in 3:25.08.
- Results: Girls 1600 SMR - Boys 1600 SMR
- Photos: Girls 1600 SMR - Boys 1600 SMR