JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Ladue’s Samantha Levin had an other-worldly performance Friday during the preliminaries of the Missouri Class 3-4 track and field championships.
Levin rolled through two laps around the Dwight T. Reed track faster than any female in state history to set a new record in the 800-meter run at 2:08.55. That broke the nearly 20-year-old mark of 2:09.78 set by Hazelwood Central’s Ann Heffner in 1992.
“It means a lot to me,” Levin said. “It was my main goal this year. Running track, to me, it seems like you can never be satisfied. So I’ll go after it again.”
Levin set a brisk pace from the outset, completing her first lap in 60 seconds. Since the record came during a prelim heat, Levin said she will attempt another record run during Saturday’s finals if the conditions are right. And for Levin, that means it needs to warm up – a lot.
“Personally I like it when it’s really hot and it’s kind of gross out,” Levin said.
And lest she forget what she is capable of, Levin wrote “E.T.” on her arm in honor of things that are out of this world.
“It’s E.T. – Extra Terrestrial,” said Levin, who will run at LSU next year. “We decided to write it on our bodies so we can remember.”
ALMOST A RECORD
Nerinx Hall’s Colleen Quigley was almost pushed to a 3,200-meter record.
Quigley led nearly the entire race until the seventh lap when Chelsey Phoebus of Lee’s Summit West dropped her kick and sprinted past Quigley. Only Phoebus had lost count of the laps and started her kick one lap too soon. Phoebus realized too late and had nothing left to fend off Quigley.
“I was like, ‘Aww dang. I’ve been leading this whole thing, and I thought I was doing a really good pace,’” Quigley said. “I didn’t realize that she had miscounted the laps, so I felt bad for her.
“If she hadn’t gone then, my time would not have been as fast as it was because I was trying to cover her.”
Quigley finished in the third-fastest 3,200-meter time of 10:27.62, which was three seconds off the overall record. “I was hoping to beat my PR of 10:44 and get in the 10:30s,” said Quigley, who started the season with a PR of 10:53.
Quigley ran the first four laps in 5:20 and negative split to a 5:07 for the second half of the race.
Quigley, who will run at Florida State, has her eye on another specific time for Saturday’s 1,600-meter run. She would like to hit the 4:48.5 required to qualify for Adidas. “I could feel someone on my back almost the whole time today, and I can’t tell you how much that helps,” said Quigley, who has a 1,600 PR of 4:53.31. “That helps a lot to have some competition, and I think they’ll be plenty of people pushing me (in the 1,600).”
PRACTICE WHERE YOU CAN
St. Clair senior Bryanna Pierce picked an odd place to practice her shot put during the final week leading up to the state meet. “I was practicing at 10:30 at night out in the hotel parking lot,” Pierce said.
That was all the was available to Pierce, who left for a band trip to Orlando, Fla., the day after she set the school record of 42-1 ½ during sectionals.
Bob Juergens, a track parent and chaperone on the band trip, helped Pierce focus on the workouts she could do while away. “He made sure I practiced every night and didn’t ruin my chances,” Pierce said. “He was making sure I stayed focused throughout my trip down there while having fun with the band.”
Pierce got in the shot put ring Thursday for first time since sectionals. “Coming in, I knew I was in first, but that doesn’t matter here,” said Pierce, who hit the winning distance on her first toss. “I figured on the first throw, I need to get it out there.”
NEW-FOUND FOCUS
Brittany Kallenberger lived up to the pressure of the sectional seeds by claiming the Class 4 pole vault with a personal record jump of 12 feet.
It was a vast improvement over the 9-9 she posted as sophomore. “I quit all my other sports, and I did pole vault year round,” said Kallenberger, who left gymnastics, swimming and cheer to focus on track.
Kallenberger said she struggle at 11-3, but she got in groove after clearing that height. She made an attempt at the state record of 12-2. “The first one I blew through, the second one I came up short, and the third one I just wasn’t that good,” Kallenberger said. “I’m planning on getting it next year.”
The 10 points that also accompany a first-place finish were important to the Lee’s Summit West junior as the Titans attempt to repeat as girls’ champions. “I came in ranked first, and my coaches were like, ‘No pressure. Just try to finish the same,’” Kallenberger said.
Lee’s Summit West has a first-day lead after tallying 28 points.
LEAD CHANGES
The lead in the girls Class 4 3,200-meter relay changed five times, but Lindbergh’s Colleen Riley made sure when she took over on the final leg that it was for good.
Riley got the baton just off the pace of Eureka and Kirkwood, and Kirkwood’s Lianna Doty built some separation over her first lap. On the final lap, Riley reeled in all the teams to give the Flyers the victory in 9:14.19.
“It’s something I’m used to,” Riley said. “Every since my freshman year, I’ve always been a behind runner. I knew as soon as I passed her I was going to comfortably and confidently finish this thing. It was what I like to do. Those types of races are fun for me when it’s reeling someone as opposed to be chased. All four of us did this, not just me.”