The Butler girls 4x800 meter relay team — from left, Erin LeMay, Liz Simms, Maggie Welty and Chesna Tomko — is taking aim at the WPIAL outdoor record this spring.Dave Prelosky/Butler Eagle

BUTLER TWP — While snow covered the ground outside, Butler High School's girls 4x800 meter relay was bubbling inside.

Now it's ready to boil over.

Freshman Chesna Tomko, seniors Maggie Welty and Erin LeMay, and junior Liz Simms are off and running toward a potentially historic season.

At least, they hope so.

“We want the WPIAL record,” Simms said emphatically.

They're headed in that direction.

This same foursome ran the 4x800 for the Butler girls indoor track team this winter. The indoor school record had been nine minutes and 42 seconds. Tomko, Welty, LeMay and Simms beat that record by 10 seconds at the Pa. Indoor Championships.

They then traveled to New York for a national meet and nearly shaved another 10 seconds off. The school indoor mark now stands at 9:23.

These girls shine in individual events as well. Simms is being recruited by numerous Division I schools, but cherishes her role as the anchor on the relays.

“Relays emphasize the team aspect of track,” Simms said. “You're not just running for yourself. You're running for the other three, for the program and for the school.”

And, perhaps, history.

A full story appears in the Butler Eagle.

Erin LeMay hands off to Liz Simms in the third exchange of the 4x800 meter relay during last week's meet with North Allegheny.Dave Prelosky/Butler Eagle