South girls' 4x100 relay team was already good, but one change led to record-breaking results

There's always an inherent risk with such changes, but the learning curve was minimized due to this being the same relay team in the winter time.

"It actually wasn't bad," Levine said about the early days after the switch. "Getting used to the handoff wasn't bad because we've built up chemistry by running the 4x200 relay during the indoor season."

More: Jurasits sisters make 2026 All-EPC First Team, All-Monroe teams announced

East Stroudsburg South's Jasmin Levine competing during the 2026 EPC Championships.

Cofer-Walcott also said the change wasn't much of a difference for her, citing her experience running anchor in middle school, and in the winter season, and how both the second leg and anchor leg are straightaways in a relay.

The new order didn't miss a beat, winning several meets and invitationals, before placing second at the EPC Championship, only dropping to Easton by less than a second.

South's biggest challenge remaining was the District 11 3A championship, where only the first and second-place finishers automatically qualify for states. It was the bigges test the group would face to date.

How did they respond? By finishing second in the final. And not only did they punch their ticket to states, but the 48.42 seconds is a new school record for the event. The girls proved themselves right.

Standing L-R: Gianna Sonera, Jasmin Levine Kneeling L-R: Angelica Velasquez, Taylor Cofer-Walcott

"In the beginning of the season, it was shaky, but now, we're so confident. We were excited going into the final," Sonera said. "Now we get to go to Shippensburg, my and Jasmin's last run as seniors. It's exciting."

Cofer-Walcott also came through, holding off crosstown rival Stroudsburg, who finished third with a time of 48.78, to move on to states.

"I just took a deep breath and reminded myself to just run how I've been running this whole season, trust myself and finish strong," she said.

When Yeomans was asked if he knew this team would break the school record, he responded with an emphatic "absolutely," sharing that the team has come close several times this season.

"It was more of a 'when' rather than an 'if,'" Yeomans said. "I knew it was only a matter of time, and these girls showed me last year that they rise to the occasion. So I knew it was either EPCs or districts. They tied it at EPCs, and at districts they broke it pretty convincingly."

Yeomans also added that a critical factor was how each runner developed an individual confidence - Levine with the hurdles, Sonera with the 200, and Velasquez and Cofer-Walcott with sprints. That, along with the years of experience, gives the coach upmost confidence in his team.

"They're at the experience level where I could switch up the order at any given moment and we wouldn't miss a beat," Yeomans said. "If I saw someone running well and I decided to make a change, I truly think that they would all trust it and trust each other and trust their their passes and and cheer each other on and keep a positive attitude about it every day."

It's unlikely that the order will switch anymore before the team competes for a state title in Shippensburg, but they left no doubt that the change was for the better.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: ES South girls' 4x100 relay team made one change to accomplish history