The Warsaw 4 X 400 relay team broke a school record that had stood since 1987 in placing seventh at the State Finals Saturday night in Bloomington. The team shown above (left to right) is Jazzmine Brown, Tennie Worrell, Audrey Rich and Nicole Eckert.

BLOOMINGTON – Expressions of excitement and euphoria were evident all over the faces of the Warsaw girls track team late Saturday night.

The Tigers had every reason to look that way too after turning in an outstanding series of performances at the IHSAA State Finals.

Coach Scott Erba’s team used a pair of record-setting efforts by its relay teams to highlight an unbelievable ending to the season at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex on the Indiana University campus.

Warsaw had all three of its relay teams earn a place on the awards podium.

The fitting end to the season and the meet came as the 4 X 400 relay team broke a school record that had stood for 28 years in the final event of the night. The group of seniors Tennie Worrell, Nicole Eckert and Jazzmine Brown and junior Audrey Rich clocked in at 3:58.00. That time earned them a seventh place finish and erased the old school standard of 3:59.22 set back in 1987.

“It really is poetic that Nicole and Tennie got the record tonight,” said Warsaw coach Scott Erba. “They had been so close for four years and to get the record and to make the podium on their last shot is a lifetime memory for them. I just could not be more happy for both of them.

“It was about as perfect a night for us that you could dream about. We had two school records and a personal best by our relays. All three of them medaled and we have never done that. It was just a great, great night. I’m ecstatic with how we performed.”

The 4 X 100 relay team placed eighth for Warsaw. The team (above from left) was Abbi Curtis, Sam Alexander, Audrey Rich and Mariah Harter.

The 4 X 400 relay team, which included both Worrell and Eckert, placed 14th at State a year ago in a time of 4:02.25.

The team was seeded with a time of 4:02.31 coming into the State Finals Saturday night, but blew that mark away with their effort.

Rich, who ran an incredible anchor leg on the 4 X 400, was also thinking about her pair of teammates.

“The record means a lot to me, but it means a lot more to Tennie and Nicole as seniors and I feel great for them,” said Rich. “I look up to them and to be able to help them do this really means a lot to me. It’s an amazing feeling. All of these girls are my sisters. I prefer running the relays because you get to share wins and records with great teammates.”

Rich also teamed with senior Mariah Harter, junior Sam Alexander and freshman Abbi Curtis on the 4 X 100 team that was eighth in a personal best time of 47.72. That mark was also the second fastest time for the event in program history, The trio of Harter, Rich and Alexander were state runner-up in the 4 X 100 (teaming with Ann Harvuot) in 2014 in a time of 47.62.

Senior Mariah Harter is focused at the start of the 400 relay for the Tigers.

Rich also competed in the prelims of the 200. She was 18th overall in that event with a time of 25.86.

“Everyone did their part on that 4 X 400,” noted Erba. “Audrey’s split (57.1) was the best that we have ever had.”

The ending was especially fitting and so well deserved for Eckert. She just missed earning a medal in the 300 hurdles after placing 10th (the top nine medal) in a lifetime best time of 45.34. Eckert was 11th in the hurdles at State in 2014.

“I just could not be more happy for Nicole to end her high school career like this,” Erba remarked. “She had to be patient. It was a four-year process for her. She put the work in and it all paid off tonight.”

Eckert and her trio of teammates celebrated with hugs upon seeing the scoreboard flash their time of 3:58.00 as they won their heat of the relay.

“It was just so emotional and pure excitement,” related Eckert of her reaction when the time appeared on the huge scoreboard. “I just went straight to Tennie to hug her. All of us worked so hard and it paid off. We knew all of us had to run our best to get the record and we did it.  I just love the team atmosphere of the relay.”

The 4 X 800 relay team got the night off to a great start for Warsaw. The quartet of juniors Hannah Dawson and Brooke Rhodes and sophomores Allison Miller and Anna Craig placed seventh in a school record time of 9:23.20. They came in with a seed time of 9:31.49. The same foursome was 13th at the State Finals last year in a time of 9:32.15.

Sam Alexander broke her own school record in the long jump at State.

Alexander ended her evening sporting a pair of medals. She was also eighth in the long jump event as her first attempt of the competition was 17-11 1/4, breaking her own school record. Alexander also competed in the prelims of the 200 (where her personal record time of 26.07 placed her 19th), having to split time between that event and the long jump.

“It’s a plus that I did break my own record, but I was hoping for 18 feet and felt this was the day that I could get it,” Alexander said. “I think that I could have got it if I would have had more time to recover after running in the prelims of the 200 before having to jump. To be so close to 18 and not get it is the worst part. But, I plan to work hard in the offseason and I want to be higher on the podium next year.”

Miller was 23rd in the 3,200 for the Tigers in a time of 11:29.28.

The Tigers equaled their best ever State Finals score with 10 points to tie for 20th place in the final team standings. Pike, led by three-time state champion sophomore Lynna Irby (100, 200 and 400) won the team title with 50 points. Warren Central was runner-up with 48 points.

It was also a night of firsts for Warsaw, which won team conference, sectional and regional championships this spring. The Tigers set program firsts for the State Finals by medaling in four events, by having all three relay teams medal and by setting three school records.

Wawasee junior Katlyn Kennedy placed 15th in the shot put with a throw of 36-09.

Whitko sophomore Kaitlyn Reed was ninth in the high jump to earn a medal as she cleared 5-4 in the event.

The 4 X 800 relay team set a school record in placing seventh at State Saturday night. The team (above from left) included Hannah Dawson, Brooke Rhodes, Anna Craig and Allison Miller.