Servite High School keeps making history, and this weekend's achievement elevated them to a level no California team has ever reached before.
At the Trabuco Hills Invitational, the Friars set a new California state record in the 4x100m relay, becoming the first Californian team to break the 40-second mark. The team of Jace Wells (10th), Jorden Wells (10th), Kamil Pelovello (10th), and Benjamin Harris (11th) ran 39.82 to secure a convincing win.
The journey to sub-40 began as early as March 2024, when a team of three freshmen and a sophomore ran 40.98 to place second at the Redondo Nike Invitational. Things got serious at the Arcadia Invitational when the team consisted of Jorden Wells, Benjamin Harris, Jaelen Hunter, and Robert Gardner.
The two freshmen and two sophomores at the time ran 40.00 to win the Arcadia Invitational and break the 26-year-old California record previously held by Long Beach Poly. Along with this historic achievement, a Servite 4x400m relay team made up of four freshmen ran 3:13 to win the 4x400m invitational. After last April, Servite was officially on the map.
Going into this season, the sub-40 conversation continued, especially at the end of February when they ran 40.05 at the Mustang Round Up, the same track they competed on today. The team consisted of today's record-breaking four, with Benjamin Harris running the second leg and Jace Wells running the anchor.
Last week at the 45th Sundevil Invitational, they moved Wells to the second leg and Harris to the anchor position to run their second-fastest time of the season, 45.17 seconds. Afterward, in interviews, the Friars expressed confidence in achieving a sub-40 time once they perfect their handoffs.
Today, if Servite hadn't perfected their handoffs, they were very close to doing so, running 39.82. In addition to breaking their own California state record, they solidified the U.S. No. 1 ranking they established in February.
Servite's next stop will be the Arcadia Invitational, where they'll face their toughest competition yet in what could be a preview of the CIF State final. But after becoming the first team in California history to break 40 seconds, the Friars are no longer just chasing records; they are setting a new standard.
