Lyle-Pacelli’s Sarah Holtz ready for state high jump
Published 7:06 pm Friday, May 30, 2014
Lyle-Pacelli sophomore Sarah Holtz will compete in her first career state track and field meet Friday at Hamline University at 3:30 p.m. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
It was three years ago when Sarah Holtz took in the Class A state track and field meet.
She was a seventh grader and she was watching Maya Ebeling, a German Foreign Exchange student at Lyle-Pacelli, throw in the discus.
Lyle-Pacelli’s Sarah Holtz practices her high jump at Larry Gilbertson Track and Field Friday. Holtz will compete in the Class A state track and field meet in the high jump Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Hamline University. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Holtz recalls watching Ebeling and hoping she would someday be in the state meet herself.
“I remember watching all of these girls getting up on the podium and the stands were full. I was thinking I wanted to be there someday,” Holtz said. “Now I get to go, and I’m really excited.”
Holtz will be competing in the high jump Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Hamline University. She jumped a personal best height of 5-feet, 3-inches to get to state.
“I’m hoping to go a little bit higher at state, but it all depends on the day,” Holtz said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
Holtz has already gotten a first-hand look at one of the best high jumpers in the state as she has competed in the same meet as Kasson-Mantorville’s Taylor Wiebke. Wiebke jumped a height of 5-11 in one meet this season.
“It was amazing to watch her,” Holtz said. “She has the form and she jumped so high. You really learn a lot just from watching that.”
LP head track and field coach Gabe Nelson said he will use the week to help Holtz fine tune her jumping method.
“She’s got a great vertical and great pop and we’re doing little things to take what she has and make it better,” Nelson said.
