Redemption for West Lafayette state championship relay team

BLOOMINGTON — Three state titles in five years.

West Lafayette made its case as masters of the 3,200 relay.

But this title was so different than the previous two.

Emma Tate took the baton a year ago in third place as the anchor leg of the third-seeded Red Devils team.

Battling a double ear infection, the West Lafayette middle distance runner faltered during the final leg of the state finals' meet-opening 3,200 relay.

The Red Devils finished 10th, not even making the podium.

A year later, Tate, feeling stronger than ever, made up for it.

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A final kick down the frontstretch allowed her to pass a gassed Brownsburg anchor and bring home another title.

"Last year I was sick and I wasn't very confident and that is exactly how I raced," she said. "It felt good this year. All the girls executed what we needed to do."

It's the second state title for leadoff runner Itoro Udo-Imeh, the last link to the 2015 state championship team. The lone senior of the current foursome ran a 2:17.4 first leg, handing off to junior Mary Schultz in fifth place.

"Freshman year, I was kind of clueless," Udo-Imeh said. "I didn't understand the magnitude of what was going on after we won it. Even going into it, I didn't understand the pressure.

"Coming into this year after winning it freshman year and having run with the same girls the past three years, it was our time."

Schultz, a distance runner by trade, kept her position and gave way to Ellie Tate, who blew away the field in the third leg. 

"I got kind of excited because we were seeded second and Brownsburg has been running really strong the whole season," Ellie Tate said. "I was happy Emma was able to finish strong."

By the time Ellie Tate handed off to her sister, West Lafayette was well in front.

"I was still recuperating so I didn't really realize where we were at and then I turned around and Ellie had a huge gap," Schultz said. "That was really cool. It is fun to see your teammates take charge."

Brownsburg freshman Abby Lynch expended so much to retake the lead for the top-seeded Bulldogs that her legs gave way late as Emma Tate cruised by in the final meters to win in 9:11.21. Brownsburg was runner-up in 9:11.64.

"This was a race where I never had a team run so smart," West Lafayette track coach Lane Custer said. "They understood everybody in the race is fast and if somebody passes you and you're running your pace, don't worry about it. We ended up being first place for the last three seconds of the race and that's pretty exciting."

The mark was well off a school record, set by that 2015 state championship team in 8:58.72. 

But no one cared. 

It was enough and a far cry from last year not finishing on the podium with the same group running in the same order.

"Last year we were all like, we are all coming back and we can do better," Schultz said. "To know three of us are coming back (next year), that makes us really confident."