ST. LOUIS – Seckman’s Alyssa Carlton became very familiar with the podium at MICDS during Saturday’s Class 4 Sectional 1 track meet.
The sophomore won the high jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles, and she was third in the long jump. She has set her sights on finishing in the top three in her events at the Class 3-4 state meet next weekend so she can see what the view from the podium at Dwight T. Reed Stadium looks like.
Carlton started off her day feeling under the weather, but that didn’t stop her from clearing 5 feet, 2 inches in the high jump to start off her day with a gold medal. She added a first in the hurdles in 15.11 and third in the long jump at 16-10 ¾ before closing out her day on top of the triple jump podium following a leap of 38-4 ¼, breaking the school record of 37-11.
“I expected to do well, but I woke up this morning with a 102 fever and tonsils touching so I kind of broke through and did what I could today,” Carlton said.
She returns to state with a better idea of what it takes to compete on the biggest stage after taking 15th in the hurdles and fifth in the high jump as a freshman. She credits her years training as a gymnast for her quick success on the track.
“I was a gymnast for 13 years and the whole flexibility kind of came with me to track from being a gymnast, and it’s one thing I really love and picked up on quick,” Carlton said.