Girls Track: Lindblom’s Shamier Little breezes through 2A state prelims
Updated: May 18, 2012 8:53PM
CHARLESTON, Ill. — Sometimes athletes who qualify for state decide to scratch in one event in order to focus on another.
And sometimes those who survive Friday’s preliminaries don’t wind up competing in Saturday’s finals.
But occasionally there comes along an athlete like Lindblom’s Shamier Little, whose basic philosophy regarding competition is simple: Bring it on.
Little qualified for state in four events and got through the Class 2A prelims at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium in every one. On Saturday she plans to run in all four and does not plan to ease up in any of them in order to get through what is expected to be a summer-like day.
“I’m thinking there’s more in me,” said the junior, who is the defending Class 2A champ in the 100-meter hurdles and 400 dash. “I’m going to try [competing in four events]. I’m just going to go all out.”
That approach served her well on Friday, when she qualified first in the 100 and 300 hurdles and second in the 200 and 400. Her time of 14.16 seconds in the 100 hurdles tied her own Class 2A record and her 43.06 in the 300 hurdles broke the Class 2A mark set three years ago by IMSA’s Amber Farrell.
Little ran 56.27 in the 400 and 24.57 in the 200, just behind top qualifiers Megan Paul of Carmel (55.96) and Charday Crawford of Springfield Southeast (24.57).
The top priority Saturday is a familiar one for Little. “I want to try to break 14 [seconds in the 100 hurdles]. That’s my main goal for the season,” she said.
Paul, who qualified third in the 200 (25.24) and seventh in the 100 (12.54), was among those who couldn’t help but appreciate Little’s marathon day.
“She’s a great athlete,” Paul said. “I was really impressed that she did all those events and with fantastic times.”
Paul is hoping for some of those herself on Saturday, targeting something below 55 seconds in the 400 and in the low 24s in the 200.
Other athletes who face a busy Saturday include Aurora Christian’s Mackenzie Bollinger and Walther Lutheran’s MaShayla Kirksy. Bollinger advanced in three individual events (100, 200, triple jump) and as a member of the 800 relay team. Kirksy qualified first in the long jump (19 feet, 3 inches, a quarter-inch off the Class 2A record) and second in the triple jump (37-8), and was on the top-qualifying 400 relay team.
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