2021 Outdoor Track: Q&A with Record Breaking St. Pius Girls


Congratulations to the new All-Time record-breaking St. Pius X girls 4x1600 meter relay squad that clocked a time of 20:26.92 at the 12th Annual Big Orange Relays, shattering 2018 South Forsyth's 20:37.54 by over ten seconds! Here is a brief Q&A with those relay team members below. 

Grace Von Biberstein (1st leg)

How does it feel to be a state record holder?
It feels unreal to have broken a record. This huge accomplishment has not sunk in yet. 
What was your split and what do you think about your race? I was on the first leg and my split was 5:06. The race went out fast. I tried to set my own pace while keeping my eyes on the leaders. As the leaders dwindled away, I kept my mind on running my best for the team and not let them down.

How much does it help you to have teammates who are this fast?
My biggest inspiration is my teammates. Every practice is an opportunity to be better than your previous self. My teammates have been role models of dedication. The seniors have taught me to stay dedicated to the process of improving. The combination of dedicated teammates and a knowledgeable coach has allowed us to be the best version of ourselves. Coach McClay is not only knowledgeable about running but he inspires us to improve every day. We all work together to achieve our goals.


Catherine Breault (2nd leg)

How does it feel to be a state record holder?
It still feels very surreal. The only thing I could compare it to is winning state my junior year and the feeling of accomplishment and awe of what we achieved as a team. I am incredibly proud of my teammates and grateful I get to share the accomplishment with them! It took me a while to realize how big of a deal it was to break this record. 

What did you split and what do you think about your race?
I split 5:22. For me, it is always easy to look back and nit-pick my race but overall I am pleased with how I ran, especially given I had COVID-19 the week prior, and it is technically a new PR. My leg ran according to plan and felt fairly comfortable. I was more focused on team positioning rather than splits so I tucked into the lead pack and let the race pull me along. 

How much does it help you to have teammates who are this fast?
It helps so much! Mary, Grace, and Hannah inspire and motivate me to be the best I can be. I could not ask for better teammates and I am incredibly grateful to have Coach McClay as my coach. Being surrounded by them drives me to want to be better and I would not be the runner I am today without them. 

Hannah Schemmel (3rd leg)

How does it feel to be a state record holder?
I'm very excited about how everybody came together and ran an incredible race. We all PR'd in 1600 which made it even more exciting and memorable. 

What was your split and what do you think about your race
My split was 4:58. I was excited about my time, and it was fun running under the lights. I am grateful for every race opportunity to keep improving and learning.

How much does it help you to have teammates who are this fast?
Having fast teammates makes it exciting to be able to accomplish these types of goals. In addition to taking running seriously, we also have a lot of fun at practice.


Mary Brady (anchor leg)

How does it feel to be a state record holder?
It hasn't sunk in yet, but I am extremely happy with this achievement. 

What was your split and what do you think about your race?
My split was 4:59, and I'm very happy with that time. I could have paced it better, but I'm proud of how I raced considering I was running alone. 

How much does it help you to have teammates who are this fast?
Having teammates this fast is such a blessing because I have a squad of hard-working workout partners who push me to be better.


Coach McClay
"I'm just really happy these girls got to show just how talented they really are. With Covid-19 this fall I feel like they didn't really get the attention they deserved, and not having a chance to try to qualify for Nike kind of left them a little disappointed. That being said, I'm also just really happy that things worked out for us. I've seen kids in good enough shape to do special things, but it doesn't always translate on race day. For them it definitely did. Everything lined up perfectly and they ran their best races of the season.