The members of Unionville High School’s women’s 4x800 track team ran so fast at the invitational meet on Saturday that their time was second best in the state of Pennsylvania. Winning the race at 9 minutes, 26.29 seconds, they left no doubt of their dominance as they out-paced all their competitors.

This relay team has qualified for the upcoming district track meet that takes place on May 19 and 20 at Coatesville. The team is also aiming to qualify for the  state PIAA 2023 Track and Field Championships, which take place on May 26 and 27 in Shippensburg.

The members of the relay team are Nicky Diver, Molly Main, Erin Rapin, and Becca Harkness. In the 4x800 race, each of the four members travels the 400-meter track twice, and then passes the baton to the next member until all have run the two laps.

The Unionville men’s 4x800 team was also triumphant on Saturday, winning its race in 8 minutes, 4.20 seconds. 

Unionville High School Track and Field Head Coach Mark Lacianca said their time has landed them in the top10 of the state.

Elias Chase of Avon Grove won the one-mile race.

The 19th annual Unionville Invitational, held on the football field and beyond, hosted about 50 teams from New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Many teams came from the Philadelphia and Delaware County areas. 

Lacianca said there were about 1,700 students competing at the event which ran from 8 a.m. until late afternoon.

Locally teams from Avon Grove and Kennett also participated, although Lacianca said the Kennett team was limited because many of them had been at the prom the night before. A few other schools chose not to come because of rainy weather forecasts.

The Unionville Invitational is an “open invitational” meet. The students compete individually and team scores are not counted.