PHOTO BY ANTHONY PLASCENCIA, VENTURA COUNTY STAR // BUY THIS PHOTO
ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Simi Valley High’s Sarah Baxter takes an early lead in the girls 3,200-meter race at the Marmonte League finals at Moorpark High on May 9. Baxter won the race, which turned out to be her final high school title. Because of leg injury, the Oregon-bound superstar said her remarkable high school running career is over after she won her 3,200 heat at the CIF-SS Division 2 prelims on Saturday.
PHOTO BY CHUCK KIRMAN, VENTURA COUNTY STAR
Sarah Baxter
Sarah Baxter’s quest to make history just couldn’t bear the weight of the pain she was feeling in her leg.
Baxter, Simi Valley High’s star distance runner and the owner of perhaps the best girls cross country race in U.S. history, said she will not continue her prep career because of a continuing injury in her left leg.
Baxter won her heat in the girls 3,200 meters Saturday in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 track and field preliminaries at Moorpark High, then confirmed she would not try to run in next week’s sectional championships or the June 6-7 state championships.
“I’m still injured and I’m just not at the place I need to be after taking time off,” she said moments after completing her last race in 10 minutes, 30.78 seconds. “This is my last race. My doctor doesn’t want me to go any further. I’m done.”
The injury ends Baxter’s quest to win her fourth straight state title in the 3,200. A win at the state meet in Clovis would have made Baxter only the second runner in California history to win four 3,200 state titles and four straight cross country crowns, joining Jordan Hasay of San Luis Obispo-Mission Prep.
In 2012, Baxter ran what is believed to be the fastest girls cross country race in U.S. history: 16:00 flat at Mount San Antonio College.
Baxter had missed a good deal of the this year’s track season because of a stress reaction in her left leg and also a bout with bronchitis. She returned May 9 and won the 3,200 in the Marmonte League finals in 10:48.79. Her marks the past two weeks have been far off her best of this season of 10:07.52 at the Mount Carmel Invitational and her all-time best of 10:06.74 last year.
The senior has committed to run at the University of Oregon next fall.
Baxter said additional pain after the league meet prompted another trip to the doctor’s office.
“I saw the doctor this week,” she said after the 3,200 prelims. “He told me if I go through state, I’m going to have a stress fracture and I’m not going to be able to run (for) four months. I couldn’t do that, going to a new school and all.”
And so, Baxter’s career suddenly ended, with no announcement to the crowd and no show of appreciation from the local contingent. Instead of her last victory coming in Clovis, it came at Moorpark High, where she had won three straight county championships, in the relatively obscure CIF-SS Division 2 prelims.
“I thought, ‘I had already done half (the workouts) this week,’ ” Baxter said. “I might as well just finish the week and then just have my last senior race and enjoy it.”
But she appeared to be showing anything but enjoyment. Visibly upset and in some pain after her race, she was breathing heavily, leaning on a wall to stretch her hamstrings and impatient with questions about her decision to shut herself down.
“It is really disappointing,” Baxter said, rapidly ticking off unfulfilled goals. “I wanted to run under a 10, I wanted to go race state one last time, but unfortunately, that’s not what happened and I’d rather be healthy for my first college race than try to push it out.”
Senior teammate Charlotte Utash, who along with freshman Samantha Barajas, also qualified for the 3,200, said the Pioneers were saddened but understanding of Baxter’s situation.
“I just wanted her to do what was best for her,” Utash said. “It doesn’t really matter for the team, it’s all about her. We want what’s best for her.”
Barajas, who figured she was about 5 years old when she first heard of Baxter, said the team found out Tuesday.
“I was kind of surprised, but at the same time not because I knew she was in pain,” Barajas said. “But I was really surprised. I felt so bad.”
Coach Roger Evans said her teammates have always come first for Baxter.
“They were devastated because not only of her accomplishments, but she’s just such a great teammate. I know last week when she competed at league, we ran well and it was because Sarah was there. She’s a spark. She’s a part of that group. She’s a leader and she’s a team captain. They know how difficult this is for Sarah, how it breaks her heart, but she’ll be there supporting us next week.”
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/may/17/injury-forces-sarah-baxter-to-end-high-school/#ixzz322heDrDZ
- vcstar.com
No comments:
Post a Comment