BELLEVILLE – Alton's Katie Mans knows what it takes to get to the IHSA state track meet.
Mans, a junior, won her third straight sectional title in the high jump this past weekend, clearing 5-5 to win her way to next weekend's IHSA Class 3A state track meet in Charleston the Belleville West Sectional. Mans also qualified as part of the 4x200 relay team. On Friday at Charleston, she qualified for the finals, clearing 5-4.
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“I'm super-excited to be the sectional champion for three years in a row,” Mans said. “I'm super-excited to be in the state meet in the 4x2.”
Unfortunately, Mans' sister Kellie just missed out on qualifying for the state meet; she ran just under two seconds slower than the qualifying time for the 400 meters and was on the 4x400 relay team that just barely missed out on qualifying.
Mans is excited about the prospect of heading to the state meet three years running now. “I'm so excited about it,” Mans said. “It's heartening because LaJarvia (Brown) won't be there with me like she was the past two years, but we have so many young girls who qualified here today and we're going to have such a wonderful team. We all support each other, so I'm so excited for state next weekend.”
As this is the third year in a row Mans has competed at Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium for the state meet, she's quite familiar with the facility for the meet. I'm super-familiar with it and how you have to go to the fence to talk to your coaches all by yourself,” Mans said. “I think I'm going to do well; just do what you've been doing all season and hopefully it'll get you a spot on the podium.”
