October 24, 2019 at 4:48 p.m.
Chasing 20
Patriot freshman eyeing goal at semi-state meet
Chasing 20
Lydia Keihn set a goal at the beginning of the season.
She wanted to crack the 20-minute mark.
In the first meet of her career she was 69 seconds away. She was 78 ticks from that mark two weeks later, and has gotten faster since.
During the Allen County Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 5, the youngster set a career best of 20 minutes, 19.9 seconds. That’s six seconds faster than her previous best.
She hasn’t quite matched that since, but the Jay County High School freshman is confident to reach her initial goal as she puts her toe to the line of the IHSAA semi-state meet on Saturday at Purdue Fort Wayne.
“We’re trying something a little bit different this week,” said JCHS coach Paul Hyatt. “The big goal for her is she wants to get at least 20 (minutes) flat. She’s been awfully close getting there.
“I’d really love for her be able to break down to that particular point.”
The boys’ race begins at 1 p.m., and the girls are set to begin approximately 1:45 p.m.
Keihn, who like junior teammate Sophia Fugiett advanced to semi-state their first season as a Patriot, had an inkling she’d reach this point back when her career started, too.
“I knew I would get faster over time,” she said. “I didn’t think I would be this fast freshman year, but I knew I could cut down time.”
When she crosses the finish line on Saturday, Keihn doesn’t care who was ahead of her nor who she beat. Her main concern is what the clock reads.
She wanted to crack the 20-minute mark.
In the first meet of her career she was 69 seconds away. She was 78 ticks from that mark two weeks later, and has gotten faster since.
During the Allen County Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 5, the youngster set a career best of 20 minutes, 19.9 seconds. That’s six seconds faster than her previous best.
She hasn’t quite matched that since, but the Jay County High School freshman is confident to reach her initial goal as she puts her toe to the line of the IHSAA semi-state meet on Saturday at Purdue Fort Wayne.
“We’re trying something a little bit different this week,” said JCHS coach Paul Hyatt. “The big goal for her is she wants to get at least 20 (minutes) flat. She’s been awfully close getting there.
“I’d really love for her be able to break down to that particular point.”
The boys’ race begins at 1 p.m., and the girls are set to begin approximately 1:45 p.m.
Keihn, who like junior teammate Sophia Fugiett advanced to semi-state their first season as a Patriot, had an inkling she’d reach this point back when her career started, too.
“I knew I would get faster over time,” she said. “I didn’t think I would be this fast freshman year, but I knew I could cut down time.”
When she crosses the finish line on Saturday, Keihn doesn’t care who was ahead of her nor who she beat. Her main concern is what the clock reads.
“I already know I’m going to be like 50th (place),” the soft-spoken Keihn said. “I’m not worried about my placement because that doesn’t matter.
“I’m just happy because I made it to semi-state.”
The semi-state field features defending state champion and top-ranked Caroll, as well as No. 7 Fishers. Other teams competing who were in the top 25 of Monday’s Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches include Hamilton Southeastern (No. 11), Bishop Dwenger (No. 15), Concorida (No. 18) and Northridge (No. 24).
Erin Strzelecki, a Bishop Dwenger senior, was runner-up at both the semi-state and state meets a as a junior and she is the top returning runner in this year’s field.
Keihn knows she won’t be able to compete with them just yet, but she still uses the faster runners as motivation.
“They’re just ahead of me so they’re kind of like a focus point for me,” she said. “But that’s when I lose a lot of my energy because I try to stay with them. Then I start falling back because they’re used to that and I’m not.
“I use all my energy in the first mile and I kill myself.”
At the regional meet, Keihn was the fourth freshman to cross the finish line and the first her age to make semi-state as an individual (the top 10 not on advancing teams earn berths). Given the depth of the field she’ll be running against, she and Hyatt both expect Saturday to be her last race of the season.
“I’m a realistic coach, her season is very likely to come to an end Saturday,” Hyatt said. “That’s fine. As a freshman to go to semi-state, especially after all the competition she had to go against at regional, she should be happy with that.”
“I’m just happy because I made it to semi-state.”
The semi-state field features defending state champion and top-ranked Caroll, as well as No. 7 Fishers. Other teams competing who were in the top 25 of Monday’s Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches include Hamilton Southeastern (No. 11), Bishop Dwenger (No. 15), Concorida (No. 18) and Northridge (No. 24).
Erin Strzelecki, a Bishop Dwenger senior, was runner-up at both the semi-state and state meets a as a junior and she is the top returning runner in this year’s field.
Keihn knows she won’t be able to compete with them just yet, but she still uses the faster runners as motivation.
“They’re just ahead of me so they’re kind of like a focus point for me,” she said. “But that’s when I lose a lot of my energy because I try to stay with them. Then I start falling back because they’re used to that and I’m not.
“I use all my energy in the first mile and I kill myself.”
At the regional meet, Keihn was the fourth freshman to cross the finish line and the first her age to make semi-state as an individual (the top 10 not on advancing teams earn berths). Given the depth of the field she’ll be running against, she and Hyatt both expect Saturday to be her last race of the season.
“I’m a realistic coach, her season is very likely to come to an end Saturday,” Hyatt said. “That’s fine. As a freshman to go to semi-state, especially after all the competition she had to go against at regional, she should be happy with that.”
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