WICHITA — It’s state. Anything can happen at the state track meet — highs, lows and the in-between.
Iola High seniors Kelsey Larson and Kendra Taiclet experienced their own highs and lows together with junior Breanna Stout and Ashley Campbell. The Fillies competed in the 2012 Kansas High School All-Class State Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday.
Larson found out what adrenalin does for an athlete. On her first throw in the Class 4A girls’ javelin event Saturday morning, Larson unleashed her best-ever throw.
“I was super pumped up about competing at state. I wanted to do my best. State is just different than any other meet,” Larson said after claiming the silver medal in the 4A javelin. On that first attempt on the javelin runway, Larson stretched her personal-best distance by almost seven feet.
Larson’s throw, 131 feet, put her in first place for awhile until eventual champion Carlea Holt of Cheney threw 132 feet on her final preliminary attempt. The six other competitors to make the finals could not unseat Holt and Larson in the top two spots.
“I was pretty excited about that first throw. I was trying to do my best right from the start and I did,” Larson said. “I figured I had a shot at placing, but second that’s great for my final season.”
Larson had taken second the 2012 Southeast Kansas League javelin competition two weeks ago with a then-personal-best 124’9”. At state after the 131-foot throw, she stayed in her 113-125 feet range on all but one throw.
Taiclet had tasted a little disappointment a year ago, just missing the finals of the 100-meter high hurdles. On Friday, she ran 16.403 seconds, taking second in her preliminary heat race to qualify for Saturday morning’s final.
“I got out of the blocks slow in the prelims and I was afraid I wasn’t going to qualify for the finals,” Taiclet said. “I made it up at the end and qualified.”
Taiclet came back Saturday morning and captured the sixth-place medal in the Class 4A girls’ 100-meter high hurdles in 16.03 seconds. Abilene’s Kelsey Lacey was first in 15.03.
“I hit three hurdles in the final. I just pushed myself through the race. It’s pretty awesome to end my track career with a state meet medal,” Taiclet said. Taiclet was the 2012 SEK high hurdle champion, running for the final time on the Iola track two weeks ago.
The two seniors had to shake off a big disappointment on Friday morning. Larson and Taiclet had qualified four consecutive years as members of the Fillies’ 4×100-meter relay team.
Taiclet had run her qualifying race in the hurdles. She was on the corner ready for the anchor leg. Larson was across the track in position for the third leg of the relay race in the Fillies’ preliminary heat race.
Neither one got to handle the baton this year at state. Campbell led off the race and Stout was the second runner in the relay.
“I missed her hand the first time,” Campbell said.
