In her second year at the state track and field meet, Wright City sophomore Elizabeth Riggs earned a medal in the 300-meter hurdle event.
Riggs placed third in the event in Class 3 at this weekend’s Missouri state track and field meet.
“Consistency is the name of the game and she was just outstanding,” Wright City track and field coach Fred Ross said. “She ran so well in the prelims and almost ran a PR (personal record). She ran a PR in the final and peaked at the perfect time.”
After finishing fourth in the sectional meet to advance to the state tournament, Riggs finished second place in Friday’s preliminary race to advance to the Class 3 300-meter hurdle final. She finished with the third best time among all runners in the prelminary races. She finished the race in 47.74. She finished third in Saturday’s Class 3 300-meter hurdle final. She improved her time in the final, finishing the race in 47.27.
Ross believes Riggs was able to relax more for Saturday’s final race. She knew she would medal after advancing to the final. The top eight runners in each event medal.
“Once she knew she was in the top eight in the state, she was able to go for speed and not worry as much about technique,” Ross said.
Ross believes Riggs’ experience at the state meet last year helped her this year. It helped her not be overwhelmed at the state meet, he said.
Ross noted Riggs believes she can improve her time next season. She has her sights set on breaking the school record, Ross said.