Sometimes, the best teams aren't afraid to tinker with a winning formula. That's exactly what East Stroudsburg South's girls' 4x100 relay team discovered this season. Already a formidable force on the track, the quartet of Angelica Velasquez, Gianna Sonera, Jasmin Levine, and Taylor Cofer-Walcott knew they had the potential for something even greater—but it would take a calculated risk to unlock it.

During the 2025 season, the team's original order—Levine, Cofer-Walcott, Velasquez, and Sonera—delivered solid results. They placed fourth in the EPC final and seventh in the District 11 final, clocking a 49.15 seconds that earned them a ticket to the state championships. But behind the scenes, the athletes were convinced a shuffle could push them to historic heights. Their bold idea? Move Cofer-Walcott, one of the district's elite sprinters, to the anchor leg.

"Taylor is a very strong finisher," Velasquez explained. "She's also very competitive. We thought that by putting her up against the strongest runners at the higher meets, it would be better for our relay."

Head girls coach Brett Yeomans, however, wasn't ready to green-light the change immediately. It wasn't a flat "no," but a strategic "not yet." Yeomans understood the intricate mechanics of the 4x100—a race that demands more than just raw speed. "A lot of people don't know what goes into a 4x100," he said. "It's a lot more complicated than just putting the fastest girl last and the best starter first. There are so many elements—who runs the curve better, who handles the 200-meter distance, and how each athlete's strengths fit together."

For the first two years, Yeomans felt Cofer-Walcott was best suited as the second leg, leveraging her standout sprinting ability early in the race. But as the rest of the team grew stronger and more confident over longer distances, the coach saw the moment had finally arrived. "I watched all the other girls really start to get stronger, become better 200 runners, and hold their own for a longer distance," Yeomans said. "That's when I was ready to make the switch they originally asked for."

The result? A record-breaking performance that proved sometimes the biggest gains come from the boldest moves. For any young athlete or team looking to elevate their game, it's a powerful reminder: don't be afraid to rethink the lineup, trust your teammates, and aim for the next level.