COLONY — Talk about starting things off on the right feet.
Crest High freshman Hanna Schmidt was in her second-ever varsity track meet in April when she shattered a 48-year-old school record, clearing 17 feet, 1 inch, in the long jump.
“I just thought to myself, ‘How did I do that?’” she recalled with a laugh.
The records weren’t done falling. Fast forward to early May, at the Three Rivers League Track Meet in Arma.
There, Schmidt raced through the 100-meter hurdles — her specialty — in 15.84 seconds, the fastest mark ever for a Crest High girl.
“It’s by far my favorite event,” Schmidt said. “It’s such a fun event to compete in. I can run and I can jump. It comes in handy.”
Schmidt qualified for state in both events, as well as the 300-meter hurdles and as part of Crest’s 4×100-meter relay team.
She exited Wichita with a state medal in the 100-meter hurdles, although a stumble on the last hurdle cost her a top-five finish.
Nevertheless, Schmidt has vowed to use her experiences at state as fuel for return trips to Wichita in subsequent seasons.
Schmidt’s accomplishments also prompted Iola Register readers to vote her as May’s Female Athlete of the Month.
Schmidt will receive a free specialty pizza from Rookies in Iola for the honor.
SCHMIDT is one of several highly touted underclassmen filling up Crest’s track and field rosters.
On top of her sisters, Peyton and Jaycee, Hanna also counts recently graduated senior Mia Coleman, who also specialized in hurdles races, as a friend and mentor.
“It was fun to get to run with her,” Schmidt said. “She was so inspiring, always willing to help. She’s never said one negative thing.”
Like her sisters, Schmidt has always had a hankering for running. Unlike her sisters, Schmidt prefers sprints rather than distance races.
