Here is one big secret about relays and predicting them. You can study all the stats you want and focus on times run during the season but the real way to know who to look out for is to ask the coaches. Not the coaches coaching the athletes but the other coaches coaching against the athletes. For this instance you could ask Joe Lee at Bullis who he is most afraid of.
The answer he would give right away is Team War in the 4x200. He isn't wrong either even though his girls are the U20 World Record holders in the event. He sees what they have done and what they are certainly capable of running this weekend. Last year for example they entered New York having run 1:40.75 and left running 1:36.65.
Simply put - Team War likes to hit you with a huge time when you least expect it.
This year's squad features two of the girls from last year's team but does not lose any speed. In fact, it could be much faster. Here is a chart showing the speed relative to last year and would could be possible this year if all four girls are ready to run this weekend.
| 55m Dash Average | 300m Dash Average | Pre-Nationals | Nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.155 (2017) | 40.21 | 1:40.75 | 1:36.65 |
| 7.23 (2018) | 40.12 | 1:39.67 (-1.08) | ?? |
There is a rhyme and reason to why they are the two-time defending champions in this event. Neither time entering the meet as the favorite either. This team trains all year for this race and peaks at the right time. They have yet to run all four legs at full strength so fate will have to be on their side to make it happen. If they are all running though, you certainly cannot count them out.