JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Being good enough to win one state championship is amazing. What does it mean when you win 11?
After her win in the class 2A 1600 meter run, Bolles senior Caitlin Collier took home her 11th individual state championship on Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the meet Collier won the 800 meter run with not only the fastest time in Florida history, but the fastest time in the nation at 2:02:81. It is the 5th consecutive state championship for her at that distance. After that Collier took the gold with her team in the 4x800 relay, something that Collier says is way more important than any individual medal.
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"I go out there and I know that winning means a few more points for my team," said Collier who will attend Stanford in the fall. "We are going to be close to getting top 3 and every point counts at this stage. I just needed to make sure I went out there strong and help the team."
There is something to be said about peaking at the right time. Coaches build their whole seasons around getting the most out of their athletes at just the right time. However, more hard work that most people can even imagine is put in well before that.
"It is such an intense sport," said Collier. "It is really unforgiving if you don't give it your all, it is not going to give anything back. I am out there at practice from 3:30 to sometime 6:30 at night and it is a lot of work. I go home afterwards and I am exhausted so, at the end of the day, the long hours that I have put into this definitely pays back if you give it your all and if you just stick with it."
Collier can add another gold medal to her haul with another team win in the 4x400 relay Saturday night.