'The best feeling': Lane, McIntyre, Tompkins twins set Region 9 record in 1,600 relay

CRESTON TWP. — The medals kept coming.

Until they clinked together in euphony.

After Mogadore's 1,600-meter relay shattered a Region 9 record with its championship time of 3:57.06, Katie Lane, Brook McIntyre, Ari Tompkins and Julie Tompkins spent an eternity on the Norwayne High School football field.

First, the four ascended the podium to receive those 1,600 relay medals.

Then, after a little wait, Lane was summoned to the podium to get her third-place medal in the 800. And then, it was the Tompkins twins' turn to face the crowd after Ari and Julie finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 400.

By that point, McIntyre and Ari Tompkins already had their medals from a runner-up finish in the 800 relay, alongside the Clester twins, Hayli and Kaitlyn.

Oh, and Lane and McIntyre also had medals from Wednesday's second-place finish in the 3,200 relay, in which they were joined by junior Emma Quillen and freshman Kasey Bolyard.

And all of them qualified for the Division III state meet, which starts Thursday.

Yet, let there be no doubt — Lane, McIntyre and the Tompkins twins love that 1,600 relay more than anything, even their own individual events.

"I think that we were all really excited and we knew we were going [to] get [the record] before we ran because all week that's all we've been talking about was that one race," Julie Tompkins said. "Even though we had our own races, in the end going as an individual is great, but going together in the 4x4 as a team is the best feeling for all four of us."

According to McIntyre — a senior who took the baton from Tompkins after her opening leg — the confidence was there after last week's 3:58.14.

"Me and Katie knew that we could run faster," McIntyre said. "We had our 60s, and then tonight we had our 59s, and I knew that we could get that tonight and I was so happy that we got it because we were just so excited, and this is all of our favorite events is the 4x4."

For Ari Tompkins, who ran the anchor, there was extra motivation.

The junior recognized a 400 title was unlikely given the presence of Oberlin sophomore Olivia Hudson, who ran a blistering championship time of 56.68, so Tompkins knew the 1,600 relay might represent her best chance at a regional title.

"I just really wanted to win because I knew it was going to be hard to win the 400, because, yeah, 56, but I knew we could win the 4x4," Tompkins said. "I knew it and then we talked about it all week and we were always ready. When we ran the 3:58 at districts, we knew we were beating it here."

The one theme to which the four runners kept returning? There's just something special about running together.

That will also be true in the 400.

After Julie made state as a freshman (while Ari was recovering from an ACL injury) and Ari made state as a sophomore (while Julie was battling back from her own ACL injury), the two will finally get to run the event together at this year's state meet.

"Going by yourself is not fun," Julie Tompkins said. "It's actually horrible. You're 100 percent nervous and it's just scary to do it by yourself, but to go with a teammate is great, [and] to go with my twin it's even better."

As for Lane, running solo in the 800 was especially hard Friday given she wasn't feeling her best, but the senior managed to make state for the third straight year in that event with a time of 2:19.15. Sitting in fourth for much of the race, the runners behind her made a late push, but then Lane followed with a push of her own, a burst so strong that she surged into third down the homestretch.

"That last 200, I was, like, 'I know you're tired, I know you don't feel good, but you got to go,'" Lane said. "So then I could feel the crowd getting louder and louder, and I heard someone say they're coming for you, so then that just kind of pushed me to the end."

Still, dramatic late pass aside, there was no doubt what Lane's favorite event was.

"We always finish strong and we always push each other," Lane said. "And in the end, it's not just about [the] individual, it's about the whole group and it really matters to all of us."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Mogadore's Lane, McIntyre, Tompkins twins set Region 9 record in 4x400