Jenny Martin had it in her mind to go fast. She always does.
And while she missed a personal best at this year’s Class A indoor track and field state meet, she was still faster than anyone else.
Martin’s efforts during the indoors track and field season have earned her the title of Sun Journal girls’ indoor track and field athlete of the year.
Martin had a solid season, competing in the 200- and 400-meter races individually as well as anchoring the 4×200-meter relay team that finished third at USM this past February.
The 55-meter hurdles, though, was her most successful event. Martin, who nearly beat the next best finisher at the KVAC championships by a full second, won the state title, finishing with a near-personal best at 8.73 seconds.
“Honestly, I was really nervous. This was the first time I had competition this season so I wasn’t really sure how it would go,” Martin said after the race. “They pushed me really hard and I’m really excited I got to compete against them my senior year.”
Lewiston coach Paul Soracco praised his senior.
“Jenny winning that title in the hurdles was something special,” he said that day. “She had one goal in mind and she set out to do it. She was focused, laser focused. Being her senior year this year, I was very happy for her.”
Martin joined fellow classmate McKayla Ball and underclassmen Chelsea Beaudry and Taylor Chamberlain to lead the Blue Devils to a third-place finish with a team PR of 1:52.25 in the 4×200-meter relay team that only only started running about a month before the race.
“We haven’t been able to do our relay thing for about a month now so to come out here and do this was amazing,” Martin said after the race.
Martin will try to defend her Class A outdoor state titles in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles this spring for the Blue Devils.
Jennifer Martin of Lewiston High School hands the baton to Isha Kasai during the 4X200 relay at Bowdoin College in Brunswick on Monday.
Girls’ indoor track and field
Athlete of the year: Jenny Martin Lewiston, Sr.
First team
Jenny Martin Lewiston, Sr.
Madison Post Gray-New Gloucester, So.
Elesha Pratt Poland, Sr.
Emma MacCallum Gray-New Gloucester, Sr.
Lauren Berube Edward Little, Jr.
Taylor Chamberlain Lewiston, Jr.
Kaylie-Anna Vallee Edward Little, Sr.
Olivia Ouellette Poland, Fr.
Olivia Jalbert Edward Little, Fr.
Marah Black Mt. Blue, Sr.
Lewiston 4×200 Relay (3rd place in States)
1) Chelsea Beaudry, Fr. 2) Taylor Chamberlain, Jr.
3) McKayla Ball, Sr. 4) Jennifer Martin. Sr.
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