Girls 4x800- Rockford-MI 9:15.23
Results

by Elliot Denman and Rich Gonzalez

They were no threat to the National (8:53.87) record, but the Rockford, Michigan and Bay Shore, N.Y. teams produced one of the more stirring races of the entire meet.
These two duked it out the entire 16 laps, going at it leg-for-leg, stride-for-stride, with virtually nothing to choose between the two as it became a matter of strength and willpower. And, sure enough, it boiled down to the final straightaway and the final strides with Rockford (9:15.23) getting the nod over Bay Shore (9:15.28) only after thorough electronic scrutiny.
Races this long aren’t supposed to be decided by 5/100ths of a second, but this one was.
Rockford eighth-grader Rachel Wittum showed great competitive instincts in challenging Bay Shore on the third leg.
“Their girl tried a few times to take the lead but I refused to let her pass me,” said Wittum. “My heart was really in it. I knew it would come down to toughness and I wasn’t going to give an inch”
And then Nikki Bohnsack, anchor of Rockford’s winning DM team Saturday, held on – oh-so-barely – to win another one.
“Whew, what a race,” said the relieved Bohnsack.
“That race was too close for my liking. This (800) isn’t my best race, so I knew I had to keep first and not give her (the Bay Shore anchor) any break.”
Considering she’d been out two months with a hip injury, Bohnsack was amazing.
“This was a big help in my confidence,” she said. “I’m not in the shape I need to be in, but I’m still in better shape than last year.”
Kellam, Va. (9:26.28) overhauled Hatboro-Horsham, Pa. (9:30.36) to decide 3-4 with Western Albermarle, Va. fifth (9:31.73.)
The unseeded section was a nail-biter, too, with the lead changing hands twice in the final 40 meters. Mount Tabor, N.C. (9:46.26) won it on the lean over Jackson, N.J. (9:46.34.)

Results
names highlighted in blue qualify for DyeStat Elite 2003 indoor national rankings

 C.F.P.I. Timing & Data 
    Nike Indoor Championships 2003 - 3/15/2003 to 3/16/2003     
            Prince Georges Sports & Learning Complex            
                       Landover, Maryland                       
 
Event 20  Girls 4x800 Meter Relay
================================================================
    National: N 8:53.67  3/1/2002    Boys and Girls, Brooklyn, N
        Meet: M 9:11.82  3/2001      Boys and Girls, Brooklyn, N
    School                                               Finals 
================================================================
Section  1                                                      
  1 Mount Tabor-NC                                      9:46.26 
     1) Amy Dibianca 03                 2) Taylor Steelman 03   
     3) Kenzie McIlwain 05              4) Julia Morton 03      
  2 Jackson-NJ                                          9:46.34 
     1) Nicole Montegary 03             2) Asha Arneth 03       
     3) Meghan Faughnan 03              4) Jenna Prendergast 03 
  3 Highland Regional-NJ                                9:47.19 
     1) Kathleen Galan 03               2) Arianna McKinney 05  
     3) Ashley Thornton 05              4) Brittany Caserta 05  
  4 Clarkston Runnin' Gear-MI                           9:49.98 
     1) Mo Kuhta 04                     2) Liz Mengyan 05       
     3) Elizabeth Gorz 05               4) Lyndsay Smith 06     
  5 East Lyme-CT                                        9:50.78 
     1) Allison Barner 05               2) Chelsa Hargis 05     
     3) Erin O'Connell 03               4) Heather Stevenson 03 
  6 Cardinal Gibbons-NC                                10:09.55 
     1) Kim Kingston 03                 2) Jen Flaherty 04      
     3) Lauren Holesh 06                4) Bernie O'Neill 04    
 -- Conard-CT                                               DNS 
     1) Heather Bemis 05                2) Sarah Downey 03      
     3) Cary Finnegan 05                4) Elisabeth Lewis 03   
 -- Voorhees-NJ                                             DNS 
     1) Lili Perez 04                   2) Lauren Rugge 04      
     3) Sara Best 04                    4) Lindsay Owen 03      
 -- Nazareth-PA                                             DNS 
     1) Rachel Hamilton 03              2) Sarah Serwo 05       
     3) Jackie Scholl 03                4) Marcella Zuczek 03   
Section  2                                                      
  1 Rockford-MI                                         9:15.23 
     1) Nikki Bohnsack 04               2) Rachel Wittum 07     
     3) Kristi Powers 04                4) Lisa Krueger 03      
  2 Bay Shore-NY                                        9:15.28 
     1) Laura Cummings 05               2) MaryLiz McCurdy 05   
     3) Danica DuPuy 03                 4) Kellie Castro 03     
  3 Kellam-VA                                           9:26.29 
     1) Tiffany Howell 03               2) Jessica Smith 04     
     3) Natalie Sherbak 04              4) Kelley Taylor 03     
  4 Hatboro-Horsham-PA                                  9:30.36 
     1) Janine Ricci 03                 2) Caitlin Klaas 05     
     3) Nicole Murphy 04                4) Megan Rae 05         
  5 Western Albemarle-VA                                9:31.73 
     1) Jessica Fanning 04              2) Courtenay Johnson 03 
     3) Amber Cadle 05                  4) Tasmin Fanning 05    
  6 Hillsboro-NJ                                        9:33.34 
     1) Lauren Kloss 03                 2) Allison Marcsisin 06 
     3) Ashley Uniszkiewicz 04          4) Erin Crawford 03     
  7 Cardinal O'Hara-Pa                                  9:33.35 
     1) Mary Deberec 04                 2) Danielle Schopt 03   

     3) Bridgette Boudwin 05            4) Erin Kelly 03        
  8 Downingtown-PA                                      9:35.88 
     1) Jessie Yester 03                2) Christine Smith 04   
     3) Joanna Horstman 05              4) Kate Giere 06        
  9 Perkiomen Valley-PA                                 9:40.01 
     1) Brittany Long 05                2) Carol Jefferson 04   
     3) Bridget Walsh 03                4) Sarah Roberts 04     
 10 Oakton-VA                                           9:55.13 
     1) Danielle Light 05               2) Allegra Smith 05     
     3) Kate Meehan 03                  4) Lisa Derry 05        
 11 Detroit CheetahsTC-MI                              10:05.98 
     1) Alex Cunningham 06              2) Amber Hay 05         
     3) Monique Thompson 04             4) Kelly Sampson 05     
 -- Eleanor Roosevelt-MD                                    DNS 
     1) Kafi Pollard 04                 2) Nayda Pirela 05      
     3) Tunisia Milner 04               4) Crystal Anyanwu 03   
 -- Herndon-VA                                              DNS 
     1) Emily Yost 03                   2) Kristin Hart 04      
     3) Karen Wilson 05                 4) Heather Fisher 04    
================================================================
    School                                               Finals 
================================================================
Finals                                                          
  1 Rockford-MI                                         9:15.23 
     1) Nikki Bohnsack 04               2) Rachel Wittum 07     
     3) Kristi Powers 04                4) Lisa Krueger 03      
  2 Bay Shore-NY                                        9:15.28 
     1) Laura Cummings 05               2) MaryLiz McCurdy 05   
     3) Danica DuPuy 03                 4) Kellie Castro 03     
  3 Kellam-VA                                           9:26.29 
     1) Tiffany Howell 03               2) Jessica Smith 04     
     3) Natalie Sherbak 04              4) Kelley Taylor 03     
  4 Hatboro-Horsham-PA                                  9:30.36 
     1) Janine Ricci 03                 2) Caitlin Klaas 05     
     3) Nicole Murphy 04                4) Megan Rae 05         
  5 Western Albemarle-VA                                9:31.73 
     1) Jessica Fanning 04              2) Courtenay Johnson 03 
     3) Amber Cadle 05                  4) Tasmin Fanning 05    
  6 Hillsboro-NJ                                        9:33.34 
     1) Lauren Kloss 03                 2) Allison Marcsisin 06 
     3) Ashley Uniszkiewicz 04          4) Erin Crawford 03     
  7 Cardinal O'Hara-Pa                                  9:33.35 
     1) Mary Deberec 04                 2) Danielle Schopt 03   
     3) Bridgette Boudwin 05            4) Erin Kelly 03        
  8 Downingtown-PA                                      9:35.88 
     1) Jessie Yester 03                2) Christine Smith 04   
     3) Joanna Horstman 05              4) Kate Giere 06        
  9 Perkiomen Valley-PA                                 9:40.01 
     1) Brittany Long 05                2) Carol Jefferson 04   
     3) Bridget Walsh 03                4) Sarah Roberts 04     
 10 Mount Tabor-NC                                      9:46.26 
     1) Amy Dibianca 03                 2) Taylor Steelman 03   
     3) Kenzie McIlwain 05              4) Julia Morton 03      
 11 Jackson-NJ                                          9:46.34 
     1) Nicole Montegary 03             2) Asha Arneth 03       
     3) Meghan Faughnan 03              4) Jenna Prendergast 03 
 12 Highland Regional-NJ                                9:47.19 
     1) Kathleen Galan 03               2) Arianna McKinney 05  
     3) Ashley Thornton 05              4) Brittany Caserta 05  
 13 Clarkston Runnin' Gear-MI                           9:49.98 
     1) Mo Kuhta 04                     2) Liz Mengyan 05       
     3) Elizabeth Gorz 05               4) Lyndsay Smith 06     
 14 East Lyme-CT                                        9:50.78 
     1) Allison Barner 05               2) Chelsa Hargis 05     
     3) Erin O'Connell 03               4) Heather Stevenson 03 
 15 Oakton-VA                                           9:55.13 
     1) Danielle Light 05               2) Allegra Smith 05     
     3) Kate Meehan 03                  4) Lisa Derry 05        
 16 Detroit CheetahsTC-MI                              10:05.98 
     1) Alex Cunningham 06              2) Amber Hay 05         
     3) Monique Thompson 04             4) Kelly Sampson 05     
 17 Cardinal Gibbons-NC                                10:09.55 
     1) Kim Kingston 03                 2) Jen Flaherty 04      
     3) Lauren Holesh 06                4) Bernie O'Neill 04    
 -- Nazareth-PA                                             DNS 
     1) Rachel Hamilton 03              2) Sarah Serwo 05       
     3) Jackie Scholl 03                4) Marcella Zuczek 03   
 -- Conard-CT                                               DNS 
     1) Heather Bemis 05                2) Sarah Downey 03      
     3) Cary Finnegan 05                4) Elisabeth Lewis 03   
 -- Voorhees-NJ                                             DNS 
     1) Lili Perez 04                   2) Lauren Rugge 04      
     3) Sara Best 04                    4) Lindsay Owen 03      
 -- Herndon-VA                                              DNS 
     1) Emily Yost 03                   2) Kristin Hart 04      
     3) Karen Wilson 05                 4) Heather Fisher 04    
 -- Eleanor Roosevelt-MD                                    DNS 
     1) Kafi Pollard 04                 2) Nayda Pirela 05      
     3) Tunisia Milner 04               4) Crystal Anyanwu 03   

Nike Indoor Championships