Explosive day for trio of North Jersey teams at Penn Relays by Paul Schwartz of The Record
PHILADELPHIA – Ramsey lit the match, Northern Highlands lit the fuse and Ramapo blew up the 4-x-400 relay on the first day of the Penn Relays Thursday.
In a space of less than a half hour, the three Big North schools ran the three North Jersey fastest times of the year in the girls event and earned three “Mini-Wheel” plaques for their respective schools.
First it was Ramsey’s turn. With their veteran lineup of juniors Sam Sudol and Sydnee Rawdon and seniors Victoria Clinton and Dana Webb together for the first time all season, the Rams led wire-to-wire and easily defeated South River of Edgewater, Maryland by nearly 25 seconds, running 4:01.39, nearly six seconds faster than last year’s winning time.
Two races later, Northern Highlands, with freshman Grace Smiechowski, soph Liz Healy, freshman Kyla Krawczyk and senior Robine Arami, held off a charging I.C. Norcom of Portsmouth, Virginia to win by less than a meter in 3:57.88, with Arami holding off a sizzling 56.10 anchor from Channelle Hodges of Norcom.
And three races after that, Ramapo, with junior Stephanie Behrens, soph Grace O’Shea and freshman Sophia Schwartz each running personal best splits to keep the Raiders close, then got a monster final 400 from soph Sarah Adams to outrace Woodbridge, N.J., Middletown North, N.J. and Brentwood, N.Y. to win in 3:57.13, the fastest North Jersey time at Penn in at least a decade.
“We really like all the girls on all the teams and we’re friends with them, but we also love to compete with them,’’ said Ramsey anchor Webb, who ran a 59.51 anchor, just a shade slower than Sudol’s 59.48 leadoff leg. “Our team has been together for so long that we just trust each other, so even though it was the first time this year we ran on this relay, we were ready.’’
Northern Highlands was in a battle from the opening gun with Smiechowski leading the team from Caesar Rodney (DE) with a stunning 58.38 lap. Healy was next, opening on Caesar Rodney but seeing the McKinley (DC) second leg come up alongside her before the pass to Krawczyk. Krawczyk fended off the McKinley challenge and handed to Arami with about a 10 meter lead on McKinley with Norcom another five meters back
The Northeastern-bound Arami, who missed the indoor season with a fractured foot, was facing her first major test of the spring and she passed it.
“I wasn’t thinking about the foot when I started running,’’ said Arami, “I was a little sick all week and coach (Tom) Viscardi asked me if I wanted to switch with Kyla, but I wanted to take the risk and run anchor and see what I had.’’
Hodges made up nearly all of the 17-meter deficit before the race turned for home. But Arami made a veteran move off the turn and edged toward the second lane, slowing Hodges’ momentum and held on through the 60 meter final straightway.
PENN RELAYS: Complete North Jersey coverage
COOPER: North Jersey athletes savor joys of Penn Relays
Behrens, the veteran of the Ramapo team, although just a junior, was in a five team pack as she handed off after her lead off leg. O’Shea, a Penn rookie, ran a 59.84 split, handing to Schwartz, a freshman in second place behind Woodbridge. Brentwood went by Ramapo on the third leg, but Schwartz ran a game 59.90 split and gave Adams a chance with only a seven meter deficit.
Then Adams nearly got too ambitious.
“She went flying by the first kid and kept flying to the 200 and I thought she going too fast,’’ said Ramapo coach Bill Manzo. “But she just kept pushing.’’
57.20 seconds later, Adams finished the lap and Ramapo had its wheel.
“I think that’s our fourth,’’ said Manzo. “Maybe we’ll get a separate trophy case for them.’’