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The Berkeley High girls sprint medley relay team ran a dazzling 1:42.08 over the weekend at the Mt. SAC relays in Southern California. The Berkeley High girls sprint medley relay team ran a dazzling 1:42.08 over the weekend at the Mt. SAC relays in Southern California. If you think this sounds like a broken record, that’s because it is. 

BHS coach Darrell Hampton fielded the lineup of Aisha Margain, Raqueta Margain, T’carra Penick and Katrina Keith for the first time all year in that event, and the combination clicked, as the Yellowjackets went on to set a new national record. 

“It’s a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting this at all, but we’ll take it,” said Hampton, who considered using hurdler Simone Brooks in the medley team, before deciding on the alternate lineup. “I played a hunch, and the hunch was correct. They ran the time.” 

Though the weekend-long meet featured teams from all over California, it would ultimately evolve into a two-sided battle between Berkeley High and Wilson – a Southern California track and field powerhouse. In the end, the BHS contingent took home first-place honors in four girls events, including two relays, and a first-place medal for hurdler Daveed Diggs on the boys side.  

Aisha Margain also gained national recognition apart from the relay team, posting a blazing 23.10 in the 200m to set the top mark in the United States this season. Penick pitched in the Yellowjackets’ other individual first-place finish, running the 400m in 55.54. 

Though Berkeley High’s spring break prevents any league meets from taking place this week, the ’Jackets will head to their third invitational meet in three weeks this weekend. The North Bay’s Vallejo Invite will feature more stiff competition for the BHS girls, and Hampton believes they can continue to improve – even on the record-setting relay time.  

“We definitely have a lot of space where we can improve (this weekend),” said Hampton, who felt the handoffs could have been smoother in the Mt. SAC relay races. “We’re kind of nomadic, in a sense. We went to New York, Arcadia, Mt. SAC. We like to travel, and that’s a great thing. 

“We’re getting plenty of frequent flyer miles.”