Turns out Kara Euler really did have something to worry about.
Entering Thursday’s ESU Spring Twilight meet with a cold, the Emporia High graduate had to overcome more than the chilly conditions and strong north wind at the Zola Witten Track at Welch Stadium.
She also had to overcome her anxiety heading into her 400-meter dash.
“I’ve been sick all week, so I’d kind of been dreading today and the weather,” Euler said. “I couldn’t really breathe.”
Even with shallower gasps, the senior couldn’t be slowed at Thursday’s season-opening meet.
Euler finished with a time of 59.33 seconds, edging out teammate Jaclyn Sill by .23 seconds to take the 400-meter title — one of ESU’s seven championships on the day.
“Overall, I thought it was a great race,” Euler said. “It was good to get out there and have competition from the start and have to push yourself so you know that you still have that little bit in you.”
Sill, who didn’t compete last year because of a stress fracture, told Euler that she noticed a difference as well.
The teammate said she typically knew where Euler was on the track because she could hear her heavy breathing. That wasn’t the case Thursday, as Euler ran a nearly silent race, panting for air instead of taking in deep breaths.
“It’s just so different from indoor track to outdoor track with the weather,” Euler said, “but I love it and I love having our first meet here.”
Jonel Rossbach, fresh off her All-American mile performance at last week’s Indoor Nationals, took the other women’s championship for ESU. The long-distance specialist dominated the shorter 800-meter dash, taking first with a 2:21.28, more than four seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
“I wish I could have gone a little bit faster,” Rossbach said, “but I kind of ran it by myself.”
Eric Wellman also performed well after participating at Indoor Nationals Saturday, running away from the men’s field to win the 5,000-meter run. His time of 15:41.49 won by more than eight seconds.
“I really just treated this more like a workout than anything,” Wellman said. “I wasn’t really expecting to win — I just wanted to go out and give a good effort.”
That was especially the case after last week, where Wellman felt disappointed with his 13th-place showing in the mile at Indoor Nationals.
“I raced really poorly last week,” Wellman said, “so I just felt like I needed to come out and just erase that and get my confidence back up a little bit.”
Emporia High graduate Shea Camien came away with the 1,500-meter run championship. He took second in the event last year.
“No one really wanted to lead the first straightaway,” Camien said, “so I just went ahead and went for it.”
The sophomore built a huge lead before being challenged down the stretch.
Though he only saw him out of the corner of his eye once, Camien knew Fort Hays’ Elias Diaz was coming for his fast down the final straightaway.
“I had my teammates screaming at me those last 100 meters,” Camien said. “I just tried to get in there.”
Camien did just in time, edging out Diaz by .65 seconds with a 4:16.58.
Skyler Delmott — also an Emporia High product — won the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the men’s 4X400 team took first and Cameron Babb won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 9.75 inches to round out the ESU championships.
Sill (400m), Jennifer Robinson (high jump), Brooke Kent (long jump), Chrissy Koerner (triple jump), Babb (110 hurdles, high jump), Matt Keoling (triple jump) and the women’s 4X400 relay all had runner-up performances for the Hornets.
Trent Olivier posted the only provisional qualifying mark, throwing 52 feet, 8.25 inches to take third in the shot put.
ESU will take spring break off before competing at the UT-Arlington Invitational on March 31 in Arlington, Texas.