Track notches second fastest medley time in US
Recently, SJC’s Track and Field team reached immense heights as a top-notch relay team achieved the second-fastest time for a sprint medley relay in the United States. Payton Jones ’25, Meredith Gotzman ’23, Lailah King ’23, and Natasha Mosely ’25 ran a stellar 4:07.59 for a sprint medley, a particular relay consisting of four participants, with two running 200 meters legs, one running 400 meters, and one running 800 meters.
“It feels great to know that we have the potential to win an event as competitive as the sprint medley,” Payton Jones said. “Being nationally ranked in the top 3 is just the beginning.”
A season of diligence, dedication, and hard work finally paid off for the group.
For Payton Jones, the track meet that brought her team their lightning-fast time was an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience, as the event was her first big meet after returning from injury. Despite this, the group of four knew they could achieve greatness together. Natasha Mosely, the runner of the first leg of the sprint medley, states, “I knew I had to get out aggressive and give my teammates the lead. I went into the race confident in myself and my teammates.”
However, the girls’ win is only the beginning, as their performance qualified them for the highly-competitive New Balance Nationals in Boston, Massachusetts, taking place in one of the world’s most prestigious indoor track facilities between March 10th and 12th, 2023. “I’m super proud of the girls and looking forward to the next few weeks of training,” Gotzman said. The girls plan to stay consistent, eating right and continuing to perform their best at practices while working on building speed. The meet was only a gateway to a win at nationals, and they say that there is still much training to be done.
Besides anticipating running at nationals, the girls will also run for the DCSSA state championship. Payton Jones will run the 55m dash and the 4×200 relay; Natasha Mosely will run the 500m, 300m, and the 4×400 relay; Lailah King will run the 55m dash and the 4×200 relay; and Meredith Gotzman will participate in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m sprint.
In this exciting time for SJC Track and Field, be sure to show this talented team of girls your support as they prepare to face up against runners from all across the country.
