SHIPPENSBURG — Coach Derek Jennings says the same prayer before every meet. The McCaskey girls 400-meter relay does the same. Other Red Tornado teammates recite their favorite Scripture before their individual events.
It’s a small habit that has become woven into the McCaskey fabric. Most don’t notice the moment of reflection and silence. That’s because it’s a time for the Tornado to step away from the noise, the pressures and the results that are threaded into the sport.
“(The prayer) is just, ‘We have talented kids, we have great coaches, and I believe in a higher power,’ ” Jennings said. “And I think that those prayers have helped.”
While McCaskey occasionally looks to its spiritual entity for guidance, it’s the Tornado who take the wheel. Who control their own destiny. Who carve out their journey, their path, their story.
McCaskey’s latest awakening came at Saturday’s PIAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium. Fueled by 400 relay and 800-meter gold, the Tornado thrashed to the third state girls team title in program history, and first since 1993.
Jennings’ assembly amassed 42 points. South Fayette and Kennett tied for second with 27 points each.
“We’ve talked about this before, but this team is like a family,” Jennings said. “I think they have memories that will last a lifetime, and I think a lot of people that followed along with this journey are going to have memories that will last a lifetime. This is one for the record books.
“State titles are few and far between,” Jennings continued, “but I think it’s just the way they rallied around each other. Because I gotta tell you, there’s been ups and downs, and we just kept fighting, and just kept being a team, and kept being a family. And here we are.”