Sisson sets state record in 3,200 meter run

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BY RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star

OMAHA — Emily Sisson didn’t look tired after breaking the Class A girls state meet record in the 3,200-meter run Friday at Omaha Burke Stadium.

The Millard North sophomore wasn’t doubled over or even breathing that hard after she finished in 10 minutes, 23 seconds, then turned around to cheer her teammate, Megan Oddo on. Oddo took third behind a former Sisson teammate, Omaha Marian’s Kelli Budd, who was more than a minute behind Sisson at 11:24.65.

Looks can be deceiving, she says. A smooth runner like Sisson can make it look effortless.

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Lincoln Southeast's KK Houser (center) leads her heat in the 100 high hurdle preliminaries Friday. (Gwyneth Roberts)

Lincoln Southeast's KK Houser (center) leads her heat in the 100 high hurdle preliminaries Friday. (Gwyneth Roberts)

“I was tired, believe me,” Sisson said after running the third fastest girls 3,200 in the history of the state. “I gave it everything I had.’’

It was just off her PR of 10:21.71 that she ran at the Arcadia, Calif., National Invitational last month, the fifth fastest time in the nation this year and second on the state’s all-time charts. The state record of 10:19.0 by Karlene Erickson of Wheeler Central in 1982 appears safe for a while. Sisson is moving to Lee’s Summit, Mo. after school gets out this spring.

“I wanted to run a PR today, but I was happy with my time,” said Sisson, who ran in almost perfect conditions Friday evening with temperatures in the low 70s with no wind. “A state record would’ve been awesome, but my first goal was to run well, and I thought I did.”

Sisson started her day by anchoring Millard North’s victorious 3,200 relay, which won the all-class Gold with a 9:24.48, fifth on the all-time charts. According to Millard North coach Mindy Reed, Sisson reeled off a 2:18 split time in the 800.

“With all of them having more races to do, we told them we didn’t need PRs to get the time we want,’’ said Reed, whose team leads the Class A team race with a 33-22 edge over Millard West. “I told Emily that a 2:19 or 2:20 would do, and she broke that.

“Emily ran a nice and relaxed race (in the 3,200),” Reed said of Sisson, who also leads the state in the 800 and 1,600. “She didn’t map anything out. She just went out and raced.”

Lincoln Southeast put itself in a position to contend in the team race by getting junior KK Houser and senior Katie Birkel into the finals of their events.

Houser overcame an awkward moment at the beginning of the 100 high hurdle preliminaries to record a personal-best :14.50, which moves the defending all-class Gold medalist into a tie for sixth on the all-time charts.

From the stands, it appeared Houser had false-started when she was the only runner coming out of the blocks with the starting gun up. The gun, however, did not fire, it only clicked and that’s what Houser reacted to.

“It wasn’t as bad as it looked in the stands,’’ Houser said. “I heard it click so I started. I guess my hearing is pretty good.”

Houser, a Super-State basketball player like Birkel, had the second fastest 300 low hurdle preliminary time with a :44.60. Millard North senior Kianna Elahi, the state record holder with the :43.03 she ran at state last year, had the fastest qualifying time Friday with a :44.07.

The hurdles weren’t quite as friendly to Taylor Tacha of Bertrand, who ran a :14.5 at districts. Tacha, the two-time defending D state champion, fell on the third hurdle in the preliminaries and failed to qualify for the finals. She also fell on the final hurdle in the 300s, but got up and still won her heat.

Birkel lowered her state-best time in the 400 to :56.15 and also qualified for the finals in the 200. After finishing second at state last year with a :55.96 (eighth on the all-time charts), her first goal Saturday is gold.

“I was a little nervous today, but that comes with running at state,” Birkel said. “I wanted to run a PR for the season today. Tomorrow, I want to break 56. If I can break a record, that would be like a cherry on the top.”

Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.