TACOMA - As soon as Chantal Tran finished the anchor leg of the Bellingham girls' 4x100 relay, she knew she and Holly Schrock, Alyssa Porter and Mary Dyrland of the Red Raiders had done something special.
"When I crossed the finish line, I was like, 'Yes, we did it,'" Tran said. "This feels so good."
Not only did Bellingham's time of 48.33 seconds earn the Red Raiders a first-place finish and a gold medal during the 2A-3A-4A Washington State Track and Field Championships Saturday, May 26, at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, the time also broke the previous 2A state record of 48.49, which was set in 2011 by North Kitsap.
"I'm just so happy right now," Tran said. "All of our hard work and focus has paid off."
Schrock ran a strong first 100 meters, and Porter gained a ton of ground on the few athletes in front of her, as she sprinted down the second 100 meters straightaway. Dyrland then set the stage for Tran to finish, and the Bellingham junior crossed the finish line in record time.
Once the team met up, they embraced one another in excitement.
"It's my last year, and I couldn't have gotten here without this great group of girls," Schrock said. "This doesn't even feel real."
The team all agreed Porter played a major role in helping the team get the win, as well as the new meet record.
"I just wanted to get the rest of the girls a good lead," Porter said.
Tran, a junior, and Porter and Dyrland, who are sophomores, will both be able to defend their title and meet record next year, while Schrock, a senior, said she will be sad to leave the group.
Reach ANDREW LANG atandrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.
