The Union Catholic girls put an exclamation point on a historic showing by New Jersey at the New Balance National Championships by breaking the state record in the 4x400-meter relay when the Vikings placed third on Sunday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

UC stopped the clock at 3:35.81 to take down the NJ record of 3:35.90 that Union Catholic ran to finish first at the 2015 New Balance Nationals at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. That UC was anchored by then sophomore Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a 4-time Olympic gold medalist and the current world record holder in the 400 hurdles.

Bullis of Maryland won the race in 3:34.12 and Long Beach of California was second in 3:34.67.

The record-shattering lineup for UC on Sunday consisted of freshman Abbey Robisky, who led off with a 54.9, junior Sydney Chadwick (53.3), junior Abriyah Thompson (54.33) and then junior Paige Sheppard finished it off by ripping a 52.45 anchor!!! 

NJ put three teams in the top six in the girls' 4x400. 

Winslow was fourth in 3:43.70, and Pennsauken, without Sianni Wynn on the squad, still placed sixth in 3:48.20.   

We have to dig a little more into what Sheppard did!

The 52.45 by Sheppard was impressive enough, but when you consider that she was across the country on Friday night winning the 800 at the USATF U-20 Championships at Hayward Field in Oregon, it makes what she did Sunday even more remarkable!!! That's the definition of leaving no crumbs and leveling up.