Valerie Schmidt doesn’t remember much about her 300 hurdles race at last year’s regional meet.
She ran what turned out to be the first of two back-to-back personal-best times over consecutive weeks to eventually end her junior season placing ninth at state.
For Schmidt, Prairie High School’s top hurdler, not remembering a race is common. In fact, it’s a good thing because that means not overly thinking.
That, too, is a good thing.
“That’s how all my best PRs have happened,” she said.”It’s because I was so focused, yet relaxed.
“When it happens, it feels so natural.”
What’s natural, too, is Schmidt being a busy bee on meet days for Prairie. In today’s world of sports specialization, Schmidt, a homeschool student who has competed for Prairie throughout high school, is anything but a specific event specialist. She does four individual events, stemming from her background as a heptathlete.
But by her own admission, hurdles are her first love. Especially the event that takes the least amount of thinking: the 300 hurdles.
Last year, she added the pole vault — an event coached by her father, Frank — late in the season. After two meets, she qualified for regionals to compete in all four of her events past sub-districts: 100 and 300 hurdles, high jump and pole vault.
Schmidt hopes for more of that. Her goals for her final high school track season are simple: improve on times and marks, and not overthink during competition.
If the latter happens, the former should come more easily.
“The fastest you’re going to run,” she said, “is relaxed.”
That’s how she lowered her career-best time to 46.46 seconds at the 3A state meet at Mount Tahoma Stadium. Her ninth-place finish was one spot off the podium.
And already, her season is off to a fast start one meet in. Schmidt said she already feels faster than this time a year ago and credits a more focused off-season training plan. She specifically targeted improving strength in her lower legs and hopes the work translates to lowered times and higher marks for 2018.
It’s early, but she’s noticing a difference mentally and physically.
“I’ve never felt this fast the first day (of practice),” she said.
