Lake Central senior Destiny Washington would not miss this meet. But how healthy she would be was up for debate.
“I knew I was going to be able to run based on pure adrenaline,” Washington said. “I didn’t do anything for three or four days after that injury.”
Washington wasn’t happy with her times, but she was happy with the results at Tuesday’s Portage Regional, where she won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.40 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 46.34.
She said she was “not even 65 percent” after injuring her left leg at last the sectional meet.
During the 100 hurdles in the sectional, Washington clipped the third hurdle with her right, trailing leg and landed awkwardly on that left leg, but still recovered in time to finish third.
Washington had one goal for the Portage Regional.
“Survive and advance to state,” she said.
With that mission accomplished, Washington’s focus shifts to recovery in order to fulfill her aspirations at the state meet.
She’s hoping to break the 13-second barrier in the 100 after running a 14.00 earlier this season. And in the 300, she has the bar set at under 44 seconds.
How quickly her left leg recovers will be crucial.
“I’m praying on it,” she said. “I have faith that I will be (healthy).”
Thanks to those points from Washington, Lake Central won the regional title with 81 team points, just ahead of Valparaiso’s 75.6. The Indians had won six straight regionals before Crown Point snapped the streak last season.
LaPorte finished third with 60.6 points, led by one of the best days of senior Katerina Shuble’s career.
She opened the regional by helping the Slicers’ 3,200 relay team take first at 9:27.63. That set up Shuble’s only individual race of the day.
“I already knew I was going to state,” Shuble said. “So what else could I do to get the cherry on top of that?”
The answer was winning the 800 with a personal-best time of 2:14.81.
“For the past two years, I’ve wanted the 800 so bad,” she said. “I’ve always been so close. This year, I didn’t let anything else get to me and relaxed the whole time.”
Bowman sophomore Melody Jones said she wasn’t as relaxed in her individual races, finishing as the runner-up in the 100 in 12.41 and in the 200 in 26.18.
But she was still beaming about the three events she’ll have at next weekend’s state meet, including the 400 relay that Bowman won in 49.14.
“Sometimes, I let my nerves get the best of me,” Jones said. “And let the other people get the best of me when I just need to focus on myself, the track and my times.
“I’m excited (for state). I know I have to push myself. I’ve got to work, work, work.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.