Social studies teacher Elizabeth Muhlenkamp crunched some numbers before the girls 4×400 relay team took their place for the final event of the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) state meet. Her daughter, senior Avery Ogg, was running anchor.
“The girls need to place second or first to get the team to third place overall,” Muhlenkamp said. “I know they can do it.”
Muhlenkamp’s prediction came true: The relay team won their event at the state meet. With their win, the team’s overall place jumped up from 7th to 3rd.
All four girls– juniors of Charlotte Turner and Audrey Ames and seniors Sophia Poling and Ogg– had battled injuries or health problems leading up to the indoor season, yet they qualified for state. Going into the race, however, the relay team was seeded 8th.
“I went into the race thinking we would at least get a podium but definitely was not expecting to get first based on the rankings going into it,” Turner said.
In the first leg, Turner got out strong and put the team in a good place.
It was Ames’s first ever state meet after a series of injuries took her out of the running in previous years. Although she had already placed 13th in the triple jump and 5th in the 4×200, she was worried about the relay.
“I went into the race being super nervous, but I talked with my teammates and they helped me calm down my nerves,” Ames said. “I remember telling myself that although I was really nervous about my performance, all I could do was run as fast as I could and give it my all.”
In the second leg, Audrey Ames held the placing and passed people on the last stretch.
In the third leg, Sophia Poling took off right away passing people, taking the lead and never slowing down.
“For me going into the race I just knew I was going to do my best to hand it off to my team in the best place that I could, and I was proud that I was able to do that,” Poling said.
Ogg, who already placed 8th in the 400m dash, was next, but she was concerned about her leg holding up.
“I went into the race worried about my hamstring because it cramped up during the open 400m, but I thought back to my sophomore year indoor when the 4×400 got second then I knew we could do it,” Ogg said.
Fortunately, she had no problems with her leg, and in the final stretch of the race, Ogg made the lead greater, securing the gold.
Ogg and the rest of the team screamed and cried with joy after realizing what they just accomplished.
“Once I realized we won I was so happy to be a part of something big and be on a team with such talented girls,” Ogg said. “I cried on Charlotte’s shoulder and was beyond grateful to have friends like her, Audrey and Sophia to run the race with.”
Poling echoed Ogg’s thoughts.
“When I found out we won I was super happy and surprised because we were seeded 8th, but I had the confidence in my teammates and I knew we were capable and that all of us would go for it,” Poling said.
