Hear from Cuthbertson/Carolina Cavaliers after the 4x800m at MONDO Elite.
We are witnessing history before our very eyes. In back-to-back days Cuthbertson, running as the Carolina Cavaliers, set two new state records. The 4xMile national record heading into the day was set... yesterday, at Nike Indoor Nationals by Saratoga Springs, NY who ran 19:49.10. These girls have been eyeing the old state record of 21:03 from Cardinal Gibbons in 2016 all season long.
Stella Kermes led off for the Cavaliers once again and did so in impressive fashion. She handed off in 2nd in 4:59.67, setting the tone for her squad early.
Justine Preisano ran 2nd leg and maintained contact with the leaders from Flower Mount TC, Texas. She negative split the back half of the race and came charging down the home stretch and handed off to Charlotte Bell in 4:58.66.
Bell was starting to fall off the lead, but she dug down deep the last 600m, and came roaring back to hand off to Alyssa Preisano within milliseconds of Flower Mount TC. Bell's split of 4:56.16 was the 2nd fastest split in the entire race for the whole field!
Alyssa Preisano was going head to head for the national title with the new national record holder in the 2 mile, Flower Mount anchor leg Natalie Cook. Preisano held on strong and powered around the stretch with a new state record, and potential top five all-time mark in sights. Preisano crossed the line for the Cavaliers in 20:01.48, shattering the old state record, indoor or outdoor! Their time is US No. 4 all-time and become the 11th school to ever break 20:30 in the event. Flower Mount went on to break the national record running 19:37.
It has been a fantastic run for this group of Cuthbertson girls, and they are nowhere near done as they all will return next indoor season, looking to chase those national records in the 4x800m and 4xMile.
The quartet wraps up the weekend tomorrow morning in the Girls Championship Mile along with North Carolina's Maddie Huecker, Mary Bonner Dalton, and Hannah Rae Shaffer.
