The Union Catholic girls capped off an amazing weekend by breaking the state record in the 4×800-meter relay and nearly taking down the national record when the Vikings placed second at Sunday’s New Balance National Championships at the Armory in New York.
UC’s runner-up time of 8:53.69 broke the NJ indoor record of 8:54.11 that was set when Southern Regional won the Nike National title in Boston in 2009, and it’s the No. 3 in U.S. high school indoor history!! The race was won by the Ann Arbor Pioneers of Michigan, who smashed the national record with its time of 8:51.93! The former national record of 8:53.67 was set in 2002 by Boys and Girls High School of the Bronx.
Union Catholic’s lineup consisted of junior Maameyaa Nyinah (2:13.05), junior Kaleigh Gunsiorowski (2:15.91), senior Asydiah Pray-Brown (2:18.02), and sophomore Peyton Hollis (2:06.72). The anchor carry by Hollis was the fastest split of the race.
The same four runners also teamed up for Union Catholic when the Vikings placed second in the distance medley relay on Friday in 11:50.85, finishing behind Ann Arbor’s national record of 11:32.68. In the DMR, Gunsiorowski split 3:40.58, Pray-Brown ran 57.05, Nyinah went 2:18.10, and Hollis anchored in 4:55.12.
Earlier this month, UC ran 11:45.71 to win the DMR at the Eastern Championships, which is the second fastest time in the U.S. this season, and No. 3 in state indoor history.
