Sloan sets Colorado state record, improves to No. 6 in World U20 history

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Emily Sloan boasts a decorated high school resume featuring several impressive hurdling victories at altitude in Colorado, but the Rock Canyon senior reached the most rarefied air of her prep career with a fifth-place finish Saturday at the USATF Indoor Championships at Albuquerque Convention Center.

Racing against four professionals in her 60-meter hurdles prelim heat, Sloan clocked a lifetime-best 8.07 seconds to not only break the Colorado state indoor record of 8.11 set in 2014 by George Washington’s Dior Hall, but elevate to the No. 2 all-time prep performer.

SLOAN INTERVIEW

Sloan, representing FK Elite, now trails only Tonea Marshall of Seguin, Texas, and her 2016 national prep record of 8.02.

“I was just super focused all of warmups and I just had the race of my life,” said Sloan, who equaled the No. 6 World U20 performer in history.

“It’s just crazy because I’ve worked so hard since August and to be competing right next to the best and having them only be this far away, it’s just unreal. I can’t wait to compete against them again.”

Although she was fifth in her prelim, Sloan qualified ninth overall and advanced to Saturday’s semifinals. Christina Manning won the heat in 7.84, Kristi Castlin clocked 7.94, Kori Carter had a personal-best 8.00 and Tiffani McReynolds ran 8.01 to also qualify among the 12 semifinalists.

“My start was OK, and there is still stuff to work on there, but in between the hurdles and over the top, I just felt better than ever,” Sloan said. “I knew it was going to take a PR. I just told myself that I was going to take my shot and I did.”

Sloan entered February with a 60 hurdles personal-best 8.33. She improved to 11th in U.S. high school history Feb. 10 after running 8.21 to take second to George Walton Comprehensive GA junior Tia Jones (8.15) at the Dunamis Sports Group Indoor Super Meet in Georgia.

Now, she’s third all-time among American U20 performers, with the possibility of eclipsing another Hall record of 8.01, which she ran in 2015 during her freshman year at USC.

“Dunamis was mostly building my confidence, knowing I can get up against the best and race them,” Sloan said. “I think that was just kind of shaking out the nerves, knowing I can compete with the best and stepping it up even more this week.”

Cherokee Trail CO senior Sydnee Larkin, Sloan’s teammate at FK Elite, placed 11th in the women’s triple jump with a third-round leap of 40-11.50 (12.48m). Valor Christian CO junior Anna Hall is scheduled to represent FK Elite in the women’s high jump Sunday.

Lee’s Summit MO senior KC Lightfoot became only the seventh prep pole vaulter in history to clear 17-7.75 (5.38m), achieving a personal best on his first attempt to tie for 10th, before missing three tries at 18-1.75 (5.53m).

Brian Herron, a Lakeside GA junior, scratched from his 400 prelim heat with a strained quadriceps muscle.