Attendees at the Kansas Relays were treated to a fantastic battle between two great girls relay teams. Missouri MileSplit talked to the anchors of both Neosho and Lee's Summit West about the birth of a rivalry between athletes that have also become friends.
Lee’s Summit West and Neosho relay teams went head to head in the Girls Distance Medeley on Friday and the 2 Mile Relay ( 4 x 880 Yards) on Saturday. In the Girls Distance Medely is was Courtney Wood anchoring for Neosho and Chelsey Phoebus for Lee’s Summit West. At the final handoff Wood and Neosho held the lead
Phoebus refused to give up and in the most dramatic finish of the day, edged Wood at the line to give Lee’s Summit West their second relay victory of the day after the girls earlier won the 4 x 1 Mile.
What made this close race even more special for those in attendance was the geniune display of sportsmanship displayed by both of these girls as they embraced.
On Saturday the rematch was on as once again Wood and Phoebus achored their teams 2 Mile Relay (4 x 880 Yards) Led by Jessica Jackson’s strong opening leg, it was once again Neosho with the lead at the final handoff, although this time a smaller one.
Phoebus stayed in hot pursuit but this time Wood and Neoho prevailed to win the 4X8.
With a little more than a month until the state meet and with anticipation high of a likey rematch of these two great teams, Missouri MileSplit conducted a joint interview with Chelsey and Courtney.
Missouri MileSplit: KU – What’s the first word that comes to mind when you look back on this past weekend?
Chelsey Phoebus: Hard, because the competition is really hard!
Courtney Wood: Competition!
Missouri MileSplit: Let’s start with the DMR on Friday. At the final handoff, Neosho has a slight lead, Do you remember what you were thinking when you took the baton?
Courtney Wood: When I got the baton I was pretty nervous. I knew that LSW was a really strong team and that anything could happen in that last mile. And I was definitely still feeling my two mile.
Chelsey Phoebus: I need to run faster than I have ever before if I want to win!
Missouri MileSplit: In a dramatic finish Chelsey came from behind and passed Courtney to win by less than half a second. Immediately after the race the two of you embraced, tell us about that moment.
Chelsey Phoebus: I was trying to say "Thank You" because with out Courtney I wouldn't have been able to bring the victory to the team. With out her I wouldn't have been able to run a 5:10 mile. Plus, she is an awesome athlete so it was kind of my way of saying "Awesome job Courtney!"
Courtney Wood: Well I knew that Chelsey had just run a super mile because I had the lead at the baton exchange. She deserved tons of respect for that. We had also talked in the warm up areas and I've seen her around at other races, so I knew she was very friendly. We had both ran the same race and I knew what she was feeling. It was great to be able to congratulate her
Missouri MileSplit: I’m sure you knew there was going to be a rematch on Saturday in the 4X8 – What was Friday night like?
Courtney Wood: Friday night was pretty intense. I did not want to let my team down; I knew they all wanted a first place and I wanted to be able to make that happen since they'd worked so hard in the dmr and I'd just barely missed it. We had a talk with our coach and I could see that all our girls were fired up. Talk about pressure!! I had to do my job Saturday morning and I knew it.
Chelsey Phoebus: It was definitely a chance for me to see if I could pull another miracle.
Missouri MileSplit: Saturday 4 X8 anchor leg – LSW & Neosho are 1-2 again coming into the final handoff - Did you think it would come down to the wire again?, Was you strategy the same?
Chelsey Phoebus: With the handoff basically the same as it was the night before, I was hoping that I would have been able to do what I had done the day before. I think that I started way to fast and wasn't able to keep up the same pace the entire race and Courtney was simply faster and did an amazing job with her finish.
Courtney Wood: That final handoff was so scary! I knew Chelsey had a kick because she had proved it Friday. But I think the closeness helped me in the end, I had somebody right there to race. I knew it was going to be close because we only had an eight hundred to go. My strategy was to just get the baton and run my hardest the entire way. I’m sure my girls would appreciate it if I said I ran “like I’d stole somptin” because that was their last piece of advice for me before the race.
Missouri MileSplit: Tell me what it’s like to be the anchor on such a talented team as LSW and Neosho?
Courtney Wood: Anchoring on such a great team is normally an extreme relief to me because they all run so hard to get us ahead early on. But KU is obviously a different situation considering the amazing competition we have, and at those big meets it is nerve wracking. I know my Neosho girls are counting on me completely to do the best I can. I love the responsibility and always feel the pressure right before.
Chelsey Phoebus: For me it is a lot of pressure. I know that my coach is really pushing me to run past the pain and do my best. When I do really good and our team wins I feel like I did my part to make our team successful.
Thank girls. Congratulations to the entire team of Lee's Summit West and Neosho. Like many others across the state, I’m looking forward to the rematch.