Please visit the Photo Gallery to view photos of Thursday and Friday’s Penn Relays.
PHILADELPHIA - “Oh, my god we just beat the national champion!”
Central Bucks South distance runner Kaitlin Poiesz exclaimed, as the jubilant Titans 4 x 800 quartet left the infield area of the hallowed grounds of the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field on Friday afternoon after claiming the first Penn Relays medal in the school’s brief but successful history.
Stacked up against the very best in the country, in the Championship of America presented by Grace Foods, C.B South posted a time of 9:04.59, finishing 0.15 second ahead of Freehold to snatch the fifth place hardware.
“Ladies, we beat the National Champs!” reiterated Alexa Kwapinksi, who was vitally instrumental in the Titans pulling off the enormous feat. “I have raced against the C.B West girl (Jamila Branch) so many times I knew what I had to do. She knows she is faster than me and I even know she is faster, but I had to time my move and really used her to motivate myself. This was so amazing to hear so many people cheering, there was a whole section screaming ‘GO SOUTH!’ in turn two.”
Ironically it was Amber Stratz that ran the quickest leg, yet it was Kwapinski’s bold move and Brianna Stratz’s anchor leg that cemented CB South's place in Penn Relays history with a run of 9:04.59 (Kaitlin Poiesz (2:17.87), Amber Stratz (2:14.43), Alexa Kwapinski (2:16.60), Brianna Stratz (2:15.70)
“It’s so amazing to be here again with these girls,” said lead-off runner Poiesz. “Last year was the first time we had run together and we learned so much by being so close that we just couldn’t wait to get back here. We all know each other so well and depend on each other.”
Despite the fact that Edwin Allen (JAM) and Holwood Tech (JAM) set a blistering pace early on, it was the Titans and eventual winner Colombia, NJ that utilized their speed when it counted most, as Columbia rallied in the bell lap to claim the gold with a time of 8:45.37. Aigner Bobbitt (2:17.21), Imani Coleman (2:11.82), Emilie Cowan (2:13.80), Olivia Baker (2:02.55).
“We knew what we had to do, and trusted each other to put ourselves in that position,” said anchor leg runner Brianna Stratz. “I still get nervous every time we run in a big event like this, but the crowd was so loud it gave me so much energy to just keep kicking and make sure we could get the best finish possible. We wanted to keep the team behind us from having a chance in that last lap.”
In true team fashion, C.B. South shaved more than eight seconds off their qualifying time of 9:12.57 that they recorded Thursday morning when they finished second to Edwin Allen (JAM) by each team member improving on their individual performance by almost two seconds (Kaitlin Poiesz (2:19.7), Amber Stratz (2:16.2), Alexa Kwapinski (2:18.2), Brianna Stratz (2:18.5).
We have two seniors and two juniors so this is our last time her together as a group,” said Amber Stratz. “What a way to go out. Our boys team made it few years ago, but to be the first ones to medal here is so special, we will remember this forever.”
“Ladies, we beat the National Champions!”
Central Bucks West would claim ninth place with a time of 9:13.89, Olivia Berry (2:18.14), Maddie Villalba (2:13.70), Jamila Branch (2:17.28), Meghan Iatarola (2:24.79), while Pennsbury finished 11th completing the race in 9:17.52 Erica Gray (2:17.20), Olivia Sargent (2:17.20), Erin O'Connell (2:18.91), Meridith Twomey (2:24.23).
All in all, not a bad day for the Suburban One League.
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