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Lenape girls capture S. Jersey Large Schools 4x400

Track isn't necessarily Marissa Topolski's best sport. In fact, this is only the Lenape High senior's second season of track and field, and she was called upon Thursday to run an anchor leg at the Penn Relays.

Track isn't necessarily Marissa Topolski's best sport.

In fact, this is only the Lenape High senior's second season of track and field, and she was called upon Thursday to run an anchor leg at the Penn Relays.

Perhaps that's why Topolski, also a soccer star, couldn't quite keep still before the 4x400-meter relay in the South Jersey Large Schools race.

"I jump up and down a lot," she said, smiling. "I stretch, I crack my knuckles and I talk a lot, and really fast."

"Lots of stretching," said teammate Shannon Storms, laughing.

Fortunately for Topolski's nerves, Carly Pettipaw (59.66) and Jasmine Staten (59.15) secured an early lead as Lenape won the race in 3 minutes, 59.53 seconds. Winslow Township took second.

"All of them, track is their No. 1 sport, so they calm me down," Topolski said. "I'm not like sitting there crying, but I'm nervous. And to be the anchor leg is nerve-racking, so it was nice of them to get that lead. It made me a lot more confident going into that lap."

Storms, who ran the third leg, estimated that Staten gave her a 20-yard advantage by the baton exchange.

"To have a 20-yard lead gave me a lot of confidence and made me very comfortable," Storms said, "but I wanted to get an even bigger lead for Marissa because she was a little nervous before the race. I wanted to make her as comfortable as I could."

"Going into the anchor leg I was kind of like, 'OK, it's all right. They got the lead for me. Now all I have to do is hold it,' " Topolski said.

Topolski, who will play soccer at Rice University next season, knew that her father, Rob, would be watching her run track for the first time.

"It was probably a factor, but it's not like he was going to scream at me afterward," she said. "I just didn't want it to be like, 'Wow, so this is all that track is for you?' "

Storms, also a pole vaulter, must still decide what track will be for her.

"This is just a great feeling because we're all friends," she said, teary-eyed. "It means so much more to me."

The junior would like to run in college but is still seeking "the right fit." The 400 meters wasn't always a fit, either.

"Our coaches," she said, "I love them, but they have some pretty rough practices sometimes. On days like this, you learn to enjoy them. If you put in the blood, sweat and tears in practice, you get rewards like this. And I would take 100 practices to have one of these days."

Topolski agreed and recalled practices that required 16 300-meter sprints.

"But when you're done with that you're like, 'Wow, I did great. Let's go get some ice cream afterward,' " she said with a laugh.

So what would be the postgame meal after capturing Lenape's second straight 4x400 at the Penn Relays?

"Wings," Storms said with a smile.

Pemberton prevails

Aliyah Taylor (1:00.20) set the pace and Tanaesza Russell (1:00.59) anchored the 4x400 relay with a burst to claim the top spot for Pemberton (4:07.97) in the South Jersey Small Schools race.

"In all honesty this was a great experience because this was my first time competing with those girls in that particular race," said Russell, a senior who will run track at Widener next season. "We normally switch people on and off because we have really good 400 runners, and we just went with our best girls."

Shanell Smith (1:05.16) and Giavonna Sorrentino (1:02.04) secured the middle legs. Deptford finished second and Haddonfield third.

Deptford was led by anchor Kiara Lester (57.10), who ran the only sub-minute time in the Small Schools heat.

Taylor Ransom (1:03.81), Sundasia Baker (1:04.50) and Kayla Tucker (1:04.12) started Deptford's dash.

Haddonfield was led by Bri Gess (1:01.50), Gia DelDuca (1:01.79), Bridget Kane (1:03.29) and Julie Fonshell (1:04.32).

Fast field

Timber Creek's Daijah Davis-Hines (1:03.17) finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles. Her time was the fastest by a New Jersey runner and fourth-fastest by an American this year.

cartera@phillynews.com

@AceCarterINQ