WATERVILLE — Myrilla Hartkopf, Jilli McAllister, Marissa Paquette and Erzsie Nagy had never before run a relay together.
They did Thursday morning and, in the process, the Lawrence High School quartet shattered a four-year meet record at the eighth annual David Whyte Memorial Relays.
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“I didn’t think we’d be that fast at all,” McAllister said. “It was crazy.”
The foursome ran the 4×800-meter relay in a blistering 9 minutes, 55.82 seconds to obliterate the meet record of 10:29.49, which Belfast set in 2008.
Hartkopf ran the opening leg, followed by McAllister, Paquette and Nagy.
A Waterville contingent led by Bethanie Brown challenged them early, but the race quickly turned one-sided by the time Nagy grabbed the baton.
“It’s exciting,” Nagy said. “We’re really happy with that. The first time doing it together, it was good.”
Added Hartkopf: “We thought we could go out there and run a personal best. It felt great.”
It was also the lone event at the unconventional meet — most of the events were run as relays or competed with combined times/scores — in which Nagy and Brown squared off on the track.
The two are among the top distance runners in the state.
However, Nagy competed in several relays and didn’t run the 1,600.
“It’s always nice to have good competition, and she’s good to run against,” Brown said. “Competition makes you faster. I was looking forward to that.”
Instead, Nagy and Brown ran the final legs of the 4×800.
“Running against her, I push myself,” Nagy said. “She is such a good runner. We don’t see her a whole lot because we are in (Class) A and she is in B.”
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The hurdle shuttle stands out among the bevy of unusual events at the Relays.
Aside from the obvious — there are four hurdlers competing as a team — the event differs greatly from what you’d see at a traditional meet.
The boys event is 91 meters long compared to 110 during a regular season meet. The girls event was about 88 meters long compared to 100.
The hurdles were also lowered from 39 inches to 36 for the boys and from 33 inches to 30 for the girls.
Furthermore, there are only eight hurdles in the race compared to the traditional 10.
Waterville coach Ian Wilson said the event, like the meet, is designed to attract newcomers.
“We try to encourage kids who don’t normally do the hurdles to try it out,” he said. “It’s not as intimidating when they are lowered.”
The differences didn’t go unnoticed.
“It’s a weird event,” Erskine junior Zach Lee said. “It’s different. It’s weird seeing someone running directly at you. I don’t know, it’s just a different feel.”
Added Waterville sophomore Troy Gurski, who ran the opening leg: “It’s crazy. It’s nerve-racking. Leading off is good, though, because you are first and done.”
Lee also ran the opening leg of the event and then held the blocks for teammate Simon Rollins.
“I don’t know if I like it or not,” Lee said. “It’s something you run only once in the season. I can only imagine being the last leg. That would be different.”
Darien Acero ran the last leg for Waterville, which won the event in a meet-record 55.5 seconds.
Acero, a senior, called the event “kind of weird but a lot of fun.”
Acero said having the hurdles lowered helped minimize the distractions during the event.
“It’s also different because when you are in the blocks you are looking down, not up,” he said. “You need someone there to say, ‘set, go.’ But going last, it felt good. You get to the finish line and it’s over. It’s a fun event.”
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The meet drew 11 teams and athletes could only use times or scores from a handful events — the throws and the 1,600 — to qualify for conference or state championship meets.
Just how much of an exhibition meet is it?
Messalonskee senior Harlow Ladd showed up to the run the 1,600 before leaving to complete a speed workout.
“It’s just a warmup for the speed workout,” said Ladd, who earlier this week made a verbal committment to attend Purdue University. “I have to do three 1,200 runs. Between each one I have to jog a 100 and sprint a 400. It’s a hard workout. We have to do two in a week and it’s killing me.”
Ladd said he runs about 30 miles a week, including about seven in speed workouts.
“I won’t see the benefit until the end of the season,” he said. “I’m worn out but at the end of the season when we start to taper the hard work will pay off.”
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Four girls meet records fell Thursday, including three set by Waterville relay teams.
The Waterville girls broke the 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay and triple jump meet records. The 4×400 team that finished in 4:17.93 featured Olivia Thurston, Lydia Roy, Kellie Bolduc and Bethanie Brown. Alex Jenson, Gabby Bridger, Roy and Georgia Bolduc comprised the 4×100 team, which finished in 52.13.
Jenson, Ashleigh Gagne and Kellie Bolduc combined for a 102-8.5 distance in the triple jump.
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com
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