Wells Guardians girls track 4x100 relay team looks to go out with a bang

In their final year together, the runners are eyeing a podium finish at Hayward Field

Wells runners (from left) Addisen Prather, Avery Coker, Tilda Hathaway, Ava Malcomson and Eloise Blaine have experience and success in the 4x100-meter relay for the Guardians. / Dan Brood

PORTLAND — They have the teamwork.

They have the togetherness.

They have the cohesiveness.

And they’re fast — really fast.

They’re also having fun, and they want to keep having fun as long as they can.

Members of the Wells track and field girls 4x100-meter relay team are in their fourth year, in one form or another, of working together as a unit. This year, that group of Guardians has some high hopes as they’re preparing to battle the best that the Portland Interscholastic League and the state have to offer.

“I think it would be really cool to qualify for state again,” Wells senior Ava Malcomson said after the team’s victory in the 4x100 relay at the league track and field dual meet between the Guardians and Lincoln, held Wednesday at Ida B. Wells High School. “It would be really cool to get on the podium at state. We were super close to doing that last year. That’s kind of the goal for this year. That’s motivation.”

Last year, the Wells team of Avery Coker, Malcomson, Addisen Prather and Tilda Hathaway finished third at the PIL district meet and then took ninth at the 6A track and field state championships at Hayward Field in Eugene with a time of 49.25 seconds. The ninth-place finish left the group one spot from earning a spot on the state-meet podium.

The big reason for the team’s optimism this year is that all four of those runners return, as does junior Eloise Blaine, who was part of the Wells’ 4x100 relay team that finished 13th at the state meet two years ago.

“I’m glad to be back,” Blaine said. “This team is so much fun.”

Coker, who is a senior, and Malcomson are in their fourth year being part of the relay team.

“I think things are looking pretty good,” Coker said. “Ava and I have been on the team together since freshman year. Being on the same team for a while, our hand-offs are pretty solid. And I think we’ve all gotten faster over the past year, so that’s helped us improve our time. We’re closer to the school record (48.24, set in 1984), and hopefully we’ll get it on Saturday (at the T Smith Need for Speed Invitational at Sherwood High School).”

Last year, the team’s best time was 48.74, which it set in the finals at the PIL district meet. This year’s team already has a time of 48.75, which the group of Coker, Malcomson, Blaine and Hathaway set at the PIL Relays, held April 2 at Cleveland High School.

As of Friday morning, that time was the fourth-fastest this season in the state for the 4x100, according to athletic.net.

The reason for the strong start to the season — that teamwork, togetherness and experience.

“I think we all work super well together,” Coker said. “I think that we’ve been doing it together for a while. We’re pretty experienced, and I think we all share a good friendship. We have a good time together. No matter what happens, we all keep a positive attitude.”

Wells junior Addisen Prather, running the leadoff leg, gets the Guardians off to a strong start in the 4x100-meter relay in the team’s dual meet with Lincoln. / Dan Brood

“I think we’re all pretty dedicated, and we’re all pretty close,” said Prather, a junior. “We’ve all been running the same relay for a few years now. That really helps.”

“I think we’re all just super close. We have fun and make jokes, but we all stay serious and focus during practice,” said Hathaway, the team’s speedy sophomore who is in her second year on the relay team. “I think our hand-offs could be a little better, but overall, we just need to keep pushing ourselves to run as fast as we can every race and be the best we can.”

“We’re all really dedicated, and we’re all really focused this year,” Blaine said. “It’s really fun to watch us improve.”

Coker and Malcomson, the two four-year veterans on the team, run the first two legs in the 4x100, with Coker starting.

“I do like it,” Coker said of running the leadoff leg. “My freshman year, I ran the second leg, and it was like, ‘Don’t drop the baton.’ But Ava and I have been doing it for four years. That helps so much. Sometimes, it’s like, ‘Ah, we’ve got the hand-off down,’ but we still want to work on it. We’re refining as much as we can.”

Blaine has been running the third leg.

“It’s different, but it’s good,” she said. “When I ran freshman year, I ran the fourth leg. Now, I’m running the curve, but I like it a lot.”

Hathaway is right where she wants to be, running the anchor leg for the Guardians.

“I’ve always run anchor leg, and I love it,” she said. “It’s quick and easy and the adrenaline of it is really nice.”

Wells sophomore Tilda Hathaway crosses the finish line way out in first place in the 4x100-meter relay during the Guardians’ Portland Interscholastic League dual meet with Lincoln. / Dan Brood

In Wednesday’s dual meet, with Coker taking the day off from competition, Prather stepped in and ran the leadoff leg, setting the tone for an impressive victory, with the Wells team winning the race by 2.51 seconds over the Cardinals.

As for the potential for the rest of the season, the Wells squad doesn’t want to look too far ahead but is aiming to keep the season going as long as possible — meaning a return trip to Eugene.

“I’m hoping we can beat our record, and I’m really hoping we can make it to state again this year,” Blaine said. “Absolutely, that’s a goal.”

“I think we can make state, for sure, and maybe get to the podium,” Hathaway said. “We want to move up a bit from last year.”

“Potentially, we’re looking to get to the podium at state, I don’t know,” Coker said. “It’s so competitive in the PIL. Just qualifying for state is a big thing.”

In addition to the 4x100 relay, Coker has other big aspirations for this season, as she’s the defending 6A state champion in the 100-meter high hurdles.

Last year, she triumphed in that event at the state meet with a personal-best time of 14.59. She placed ninth at state last season in the 300 hurdles with a mark of 46.96 after winning the PIL district title with a personal-best time of 45.27.

“I would love to win both hurdles this year,” Coker said. “That’s my goal. So, we’ll see what happens.”

This season, Coker has the second-best time in the state in the 110 high hurdles at 14.72, and she has the fourth-best time in the 300 hurdles at 45.48, setting both of those marks at the Oregon Relays, held April 5 at Hayward Field.

Hathaway, who didn’t qualify for state as an individual last year, has put the state on notice this year, as she has the state’s second-best time in the 100-meter dash with her mark of 12.14, which she set at a PIL-opening dual meet at Grant on March 18.

Wells senior Ava Malcomson (left) and junior Eloise Blaine (right), with Lincoln senior Julia Renison between them, compete in the 100-meter dash during the Portland Interscholastic League dual meet at Ida B. Wells High School. / Dan Brood

In Wednesday’s meet against Lincoln, Hathaway won the 200 in a time of 25.24, which ranks eighth in the state.

“It was just a lot of hard work and focus. I put in a lot of time in the offseason,” Hathaway said of her improvement since her freshman season. “It was nice to come back this year with a good time.”

She’s hoping for even faster times to come.

“Sub-12 (seconds in the 100) would be nice. And to keep improving — that’s always a goal,” Hathaway said. “I didn’t make state last year, so, for sure, I want to make state in the (100) and maybe the (200) this year. That would be nice, for sure.”

Hathaway and Blaine, along with freshman Samantha Moylan and sophomore Jane Musho, comprise the Wells 4x400 relay team that has the third-fastest time in the state, and second fastest in 6A, with a mark of 4:04.26.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App