LP state qualifying high jumper is a 3 sport standout
Published 6:03 pm Friday, May 29, 2015
Lyle-Pacelli’s Sarah Holtz competes in the state high jump at the Class A state track and field meet last year. Herald File Photo
Lyle-Pacelli’s Sarah Holtz takes a pass and looks to the basket in front of Mountain Iron-Buhl’s Lauren Dage during the first half in the Class A Minnesota State Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinals this winter in Mariucci Arena. Herald File Photo
Lyle-Pacelli junior Sarah Holtz recently racked up another athletic accomplishment and she’s not finished yet.
Holtz clinched her second straight Section 1A title in the high jump Thursday in the same year that she starred on the first LP girls basketball team to go to the Minnesota Class A Girls State Basketball Tournament. She was also a dominant hitter on the LP volleyball team last fall.
Holtz, who will likely finish her basketball career with at least 2,000 career points, averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and four steals per game in 19 minutes per game for the LP girls basketball team this year and she racked up 353 kills, 269 digs and 78 blocks for LP’s volleyball team.
Juggling three high school sports is hard enough for some prep athletes, but finding success in all three is even more difficult. Holtz said what she does in one sport crosses over to the others.
“Sports are a huge part of my life and having success makes it worth it. It helps to be good at something and I think that’s really important,” Holtz said. “It’s hard work and dedication. I practice all three sports and I think it’s important to be a well rounded athlete.”
Lyle-Pacelli’s Sarah Holtz tries to hit past Randolph’s Samantha Bey in Lyle this past winter. Herald file photo
Holtz took 13th at the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet high jump last season in her first year of high jumping. She reached a height of 5 feet during that appearance, admitting she was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the meet itself.
“Last year the nerves kind of got to me. It was shocking, just knowing that all of those girls could jump as high as I could and the whole school was supporting me,” Holtz said. “This year I’m going in much more prepared and I have a better idea in where I stand.”
This year Holtz has jumped as high as 5 feet, 6 inches, which was the height jumped by last year’s Class A state champ, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva’s Carlie Wagner, and Holtz jumped a 5-3 at the Section 1A Meet. Holtz is hoping to equal or better her best height at state.
“I definitely want to jump as high as I know I can jump. I would like to set a new personal record. That’s a goal. I want to make it on the podium this year,” Holtz said.
As for where her future lies, Holtz favors playing basketball and she’d like to do it at the college level. Depending on what level of school she ends up playing for, she’s open to the possibility of doing college basketball and college track and field.
Holtz will compete in the high jump at 3:30 p.m. on Friday at Hamline University in St. Paul.
