It was a simple league dual meet, but clearly it was going to be a battle to the finish for the teams ranked first and second in the state power rankings. Neither team had a perfect day, though both set new school records (Western’s Michael Brant, Jackson Jones, Titan Parker, and William Melton 4x200m relay finished in 1:29.43, besting the mark set in 2013 by Devin Cole, Sam Ellis, Levert Franklin-Potter, and Payton Wheeler by .11 seconds). Still, it seems only fitting the outcome of the meet came down to the last race of the meet: the 4x400m relay.

    Track and field is fun partly because of the variety of events, and people who care about the sport—athletes, coaches, fans—tend to have a preference for an event or group of events. But the 4x400m relay, most everyone agrees, is the best and most exciting event, especially when it is closely contested.

    Over the years we’ve come to refer to the 4x400 as the Cadillac, because like a 1975 Eldorado, it’s big and heavy, it’s powerful, and at the end you might feel like you’re dragging one. Running a leg of it requires speed, toughness, and stamina. No matter what you do, the last hundred or so meters is going to take you to a different plane of reality.

    When Western hosted Harper Creek on Monday, May 12, a Panther win in the 4x400m relay would have meant an 81.5 to 81.5 tie. Harper Creek had loaded up their relay team for the first time this year. Western had made two substitutions. Despite a valiant dive at the finish line by anchor Michael Brant, Western came in second in the event. The times were blazing fast, 3:24.87 and 3:24.88.

     Full results from the meet can be found HERE.

     Western and Harper Creek now head into championship season with one dual-meet loss apiece, which means the Interstate-8 championship will likely be determined by whichever team wins the league finals meet next Tuesday. Before then, however, some of the team will compete at Wednesday’s Jackson JV Invitational and the rest will seek to win a third Regional title in a row on Friday at Williamston.