Lalita Andrews was nervous, and rightfully so.

The Warrenton junior was one of the favorites to win the Class 4 girls high jump at Jefferson City High School, but she lacked the experience at a state track meet that so many coaches call invaluable.

It didn’t matter.

Andrews tied her career best — and school record — with a final jump of 5 feet, 4 inches at Friday’s state championship to win the first individual girls state title in school history.

“I was nervous the entire time,” she said with a smile after stepping off the podium.

Andrews failed to clear the bar on her first attempts at 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3.

“If I miss it the first time, I start to get nervous,” she said. “So I told myself I had to get it on the second try, because the third try would be really hard.”

Not wanting her state title hopes to come down to a single jump, she willed herself over the bar on her second attempt to set up a showdown with West Plains’ Lilly Harris at 5-4.

“When she cleared 5-4, I had a really good feeling that she had it,” first-year Warrenton girls Head Coach Steve Wurtzel said. “I kept thinking about her clearing 5-4 at Liberty and I knew she could do it again.”

Andrews broke the previous school record of 5 feet, 2 3/4 inches at the Gateway Athletic Conference North meet at Liberty May 6.

It was her best performance of the year, until Friday.

“We shut her down in districts and sectionals after she won and cleared five feet,” Wurtzel said. “I had a good inkling that she could do something good today, and for her to come out like this in her first trip to state is just great.”

Wurtzel often talks about routines.

Every athlete should have one, he says.

At his former school in New Mexico, players rubbed a lucky medallion before meets.

Andrews doesn’t have a medallion, but she does have a red umbrella.

She can often be seen sitting under the umbrella in-between jumps, staying fresh and focused.

“That umbrella is at most meets,” Wurtzel said with a laugh. “Every athlete has their thing, and she does a good job of calming herself down and staying warm. Having that routine is the best way to combat nerves, because the body knows what to do and everything becomes natural.”

Despite the lack of experience, Andrews believes Missouri’s biggest stage gave her an extra boost.

“I didn’t expect to clear 5-4 again, but there was a lot of competition today so it pushed me to jump higher,” she said.

After capturing the title, she unsuccessfully attempted to set a new school record of 5-5.

“Without any competition,” she said, “I didn’t have the energy to push herself.”

No matter.

Andrews cemented herself as the best jumper in Warrenton girls track history, and her coach hopes her success will be felt around the school for years to come.

“Anything you can do to set that bar and show future kids what hard work can do is great,” Wurtzel said. “In the back of my head I knew that magical things happen at state, and it happened today.”