2024 Penn Relays presented by Toyota

Redemption! Union Catholic Scores High School National 4x800 Record

Redemption! Union Catholic Scores High School National 4x800 Record

A year after narrowly missing the national record in the 4x800m at The Penn Relays, the Vikings found redemption on Friday

Apr 27, 2024 by Matt Cannizzaro
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PHILADELPHIA -- Redemption was on the mind on Friday for the Union Catholic girls at the Penn Relays. 

The Vikings pursued history in the Championship of America 4x800 final and solidified their fate a year after missing the mark against Edwin Allen, eclipsing the mark with a time of 8:41.20 inside Franklin Field. 

The record-setting quartet of Jimmiea King (2:11.76), Peyton Hollis (2:11.57), Sophia Thompson (2:10.02) and Paige Sheppard (2:07.86) flew around the track with purpose, scoring a time nearly two seconds faster than the previous mark of 8:43.12 run by Eleanor Roosevelt High School out of Maryland in 2008. 

In fact, those same Roosevelt girls were in the building during the performance. 

"Today our coach really just said we should go up into each leg and to set each other up for a good race, and that's what we did," said Hollis, a senior and Duke signee who ran the second leg for the Vikings.

The win Friday also marked the second consecutive year Union Catholic and Edwin Allen of Jamaica, finished first and second in the race at the Penn Relays. King and Hollis also were on the winning team in 2023. Edwin Allen won in 2022.

After some roster construction for the final on Friday, Union Catholic settled with King on the lead, Hollis on second leg, Thompson on third and Sheppard, a high school freshman on anchor. 

"We had talked about it, whether or not I got the baton behind girls or in front of girls," Hollis said. "It was really just going to be about getting in position where the next girl after me was able to break it up more." 

The fastest time ever run in the high school girls 4x800 Championship of America at the Penn Relays was a blazing 8:37.71 by Vere Tech of Jamaica in 1991.

Watch The Union Catholic Girls Make History In The 4x800 At The 2024 Penn Relays

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