Records don't break themselves, but sophomore Melina King made sure this one didn't stand any longer. In her sophomore year, King broke the record of the 200-meter dash with a 25.86, earning her spot at states. The record-breaking moment was very shocking and unexpected to King. Afterwards, she celebrated her accomplishment with her team.
“I was just really shocked, because everybody came rushing at me, and I had no idea what happened, but when they told me, I was so happy to accomplish this even when I was losing in the race,” King said.
Running multiple events can be hard for athletes, but Melina takes on sprints, a relay, and shot put in almost every meet. Going from one to another can be a struggle since we never really have time between and never have time to recover. As one event ended, Melina already had to prepare for the next event, mentally and physically.
“It's just really weird going back and forth since I have to go from the 60 to 100 to 4-by-2 immediately. Then I had to go to shot put, and then I had to go to the 4-by-1”, King said.
Track can bring a lot of stress and anxiety, especially when athletes are constantly pushing themselves to improve. Competing athletes believe that having a supportive coach can benefit you in many ways. Their support and encouragement help any athlete stay focused and motivate them to give it their all.
“Coach Rickli definitely helps me a lot, because I always tell her all the time, I struggle with my anxiety a lot. I freak out. I tend to get in my head a lot. She doesn't let me quit ever and so having her by my side supporting me through every single race I've ever had has just been very helpful,” King said.
Along with her coaches, King’s teammates also played a big role in keeping her motivated and pushing herself at meets and practices. The upperclassmen have a lot more experience with track, so being able to watch some of the fastest runners next to her is encouraging.
“Teagan [Hill] is super good at what she does and she really motivates me before a race. She's so calm and energetic, which I love about her,” King said.
Melina is focusing and working hard at practice to compete in the next level: regionals and states. Although breaking the school record was a huge accomplishment, she knows there are things to improve before she steps into a bigger role. King pushes herself every day to reach her goals.
“Mental challenges are one of the big things she has done well to overcome. She's so hard on herself, and even just this last week, she has been pushing through the mental barricades that track has. It's as much of a mental sport as it is a physical sport. And she goes all out in both,” sophomore Gabby Crowe-Slater said.
