Team Opens Season with Great Performaces in California

The Union Catholic girls produced one of the most amazing relay shows in New Jersey history and Avery Atexide and Jimmy Wischusen each dropped fast times to highlight action for the Vikings at the Arcadia Invitational that concluded on Saturday night at Arcadia High School in California.

In the girls competition, the UC solidified its status as one of the premier programs in the nation by winning two relays and throwing down several all-time great performances.

On Friday, UC girls won the 4×200 in 1:37.75, No. 2 in state history, and captured the 4×800 in 8:53.48, No. 4 in NJ history.  Then on Saturday, the Vikings placed fourth in the 4×100 in 46.38, No. 3 in state history, and ran 3:49.70 to finish fourth in the 4×400.

In the 4×200, UC’s lineup consisted of freshman Sydney Chadwick, junior Taylor Aska, senior Leah Gould and junior Taylor Cox. The 1:37.75 by the Vikings is second in state history behind the 1:37.53 that UC ran with legendary Sydney McLaughlin leading off at the 2017 Union County Relays.

The lineup for UC in the 4×800 lineup was sophomore Jimmiea King (2:14.11), senior Peyton Hollis (2:10.88), freshman Sophia Thompson (2:18.38) and freshman Paige Sheppard (2;10.31)

In Saturday’s 4×100, Aska, Cox, Gould, and Natalia Thompson combined on the 46.38. The only two NJ teams that have ever run faster are Montclair (45.50 at the 1998 Penn Relays) and Columbia (45.89 when it finished first at the 2010 New Balance Nationals).

Cox finished off her sensational meet by placing fourth in the 100 hurdles in 13.95.

Also for the UC girls, freshman Cayleigh Kaiser ran 10:56.02 in the girls 3,200.,.

On the boys side, Atexide ran a PR and NJ No. 1 time of 48.52 to place second in the boys 400 and ran a leg on the 4×400 that finished 8th in 3:23.49, the top time in the state this season. Wischusen also took over the state lead by placing seventh in the boys mile in 4:13.65.