Fliers' record-setting 4x100 takes state bronze

DAYTON — Clyde just kept getting faster. The Fliers' girls 4x100-meter relay of freshman Bree Caudill, sophomore Gabby Griffin, freshman Daisha Bulger and senior Cora Liskai never hit a wall and never stopped improving. The result: third place in the Division II state meet on Saturday in Dayton. "So awesome," Liskai said. "I made it to state my freshman year, but hadn't been back since. This has been the best experience. With all underclassmen, it's absolutely incredible." The last race of their season together finished in a school-record time of 48.47 seconds. It was four-tenths of a second faster than what they had run in Friday's prelims, which was already a school record. "We knew we could do it again, it was just about how much," Liskai said. Caudill set the pace for the Fliers. Likely a future state qualifier in the open 100 and 200, this was her only race this weekend, and she flew out of the blocks. "I get really nervous," Caudill said. "It's really scary, but I'm gonna try my best and go out in the blocks as hard as I can to have a good leadoff." Griffin and Bulger covered the back straightaway and turn, doing everything they could to give Liskai a chance in what looked to be a wide open race. "Our friendship and motivation and self-talks we have before each race help us, we huddle together and talk about us," Griffin said. Liskai did what she's done so many times, sprinting strong and tall through the finish line. On this day, Port Clinton's Alexis Shelton was just faster to win the state title. But the Fliers had very little time for disappointment, having run much faster than they ever had. "It's really cool," Bulger said. "Being a freshman with the relay team, my first year in high school, to get third is really good." Liskai concluded her three-sport career at Clyde with a state medal around her neck. It was a fitting ending for one of the Fliers' most committed athletes. "Just being able to do it with such a young group of girls and them taking me in, they're all super good friends and they just took me in like I was one of them," Liskai said. "I couldn't be any more grateful." The rest of Clyde's relay members will be back, having learned a lot from their senior teammate. "She definitely pushes us to be our best," Bulger said. Next season's state stage won't be a shock for a Fliers group that seems very likely to return. They've proven they can run with the state's best. And if they can fill Liskai's big shoes, they'll have a chance to chase the top of the podium in the years to come.