Nike Union Athletics Club members set women’s DMR world record at Lilac Grand Prix in the Podium

Relay chemistry is curious thing to build, since the endeavor is pretty much just running fast and then cheering madly for the next runner to do the same.

But maybe the women of the Nike Union Athletics Club did have the process wired, holed up as they’ve been in the same house while training in California over the past six weeks.

“They’ve been cooking dinner together every night,” reported their coach, Pete Julian.

And Friday night at the first Lilac Grand Prix, they cooked on the track.

Sparked by a strong lead leg by former Stanford running Ella Donaghu, the Portland-based Union club put Spokane’s new facility, the Podium, on the global track map with a world record performance in the distance medley relay – much to the delight of a roaring crowd of about 2,000.

Donaghu and teammates Raevyn Rogers, Sinclaire Johnson and Shannon Osika covered the 4,000-meter distance in 10 minutes, 39.91 seconds – .40 under the 2017 world indoor record set by a United States team led by Olympic veteran Jenny Simpson and the star of the 2021 Games, Sydney McLaughlin.

It capped a night of sensational racing on the Podium’s 200-meter banked track that included a near-miss of another world standard by Donavan Brazier in the 600 meters – and a level of appreciation from the athletes that pushed world-record limits, as well.

“People aren’t going to feel this atmosphere by reading about – they’re going to have to come out in two weeks for the USA championships to experience it,” said Craig Engels, Friday’s 800-meter runner-up and former national 1,500 champion. “I won’t even try. It’s amazing here.”

Engels’ time on the track lasted a mere 1:46.77 – just .13 back of three-time NCAA champ Josh Kerr, who ran a personal indoor best. But Engels spent at least 10 times that long taking selfies along the rail with some newly minted admirers, including one who drew a flattering caricature on poster board for the occasion.

“These guys are awesome,” he said.

But nobody got the push quite like the Union quartet that finished off the night.

Well, make that quintet. Teammate Jessica Hull – rabbiting after taking third in the 1,500 earlier – helped Donaghu through a 2:10 first 800 of the 1,200-meter first leg. Donaghu’s 3:16.02 put the group more than 2½ seconds ahead of record pace.

“Ella was amazing,” Julian said. “That was the one that worried me. She’s so young with basically no real pro experience and we were putting everything on her shoulders to set it up.”

Rogers, the 2021 Olympic bronze medalist at 800 meters, then stormed through a 52.69 400 leg, with Johnson splitting an 800 leg in just under 2:03. That left Osika to bring it home solo over the last eight laps, which the former Michigan runner covered in 4:28.32.

“No pressure, right?” she laughed.

“It’s just trying to stay smooth and keeping rhythm and that can be hard without anyone else out there. I was trying to be gutsy and listen to the coaches and the splits – and the crowd. They did it for me. I needed that cheer to find the next gear.”

It was the gear Brazier couldn’t quite find – “I tied up a little the last 80” – in his record attempt at 600 meters, in which his 1:13.77 is the world indoor standard. He actually ran his final 200 faster than he did in his 2019 record race, but had to settle for 1:13.97.

“But I have one, two and three all-time indoors (for the 600),” said the 2019 world 800 champion, “so I’ll take that.”

Chasing him across the line in 1:14.95 was friendly rival Isaiah Harris – who just moved to Seattle on Wednesday to join the Brooks Beasts club “with no furniture in my house. Just a bed,” he said.

“I’m super-pumped this facility is here. I hope we have a lot more races here in the future.”

Gonzaga’s James Mwaura, in his first chance to race on the Podium track, kept pace with the leaders in the men’s 3,000 until the final three laps, winding up third behind Britain’s Jake Heyward in 8:03.04.

And Post Falls senior Samantha Wood’s strong kick brought her home in 5:06.74 for a Podium high school record in the girls mile, adding to the 3,000 record she set last month.