Strong start builds confidence

Here’s all you need to know about how fast Lori Bourgeous runs the hurdles: the East Valley junior posts some of the state’s fastest times in the 200 meters and no one noticed.

“I’ve been running the open 200 the past few meets, and I’m really comfortable running it,” Bourgeous said. “But not many people know I’m even running it, which is a good thing, I think.”

Bourgeous erupted onto the state hurdling scene in the opening meet of the season. At the March 17 Banana Belt meet in Clarkston, she ran personal-best 48.37 in the 300 hurdles. Since that time she’s turned up the heat on her 100 hurdles, running a hand-timed 15.2 and an automated 15.97.

In a sport predicated on athletes continually improving personal performances, Bourgeous’ breakthrough was, to say the least, a surprise.

“You train over the winter for months, and you’ve been training on the track for three weeks,” she explained. “The first meet is always a surprise. I went into that meet not knowing what to expect, not knowing how fast I was going to run. When I looked at my times, I was, like ‘Ohmygosh!’ It was such a good feeling. I had a huge breakthrough and have just tried to carry it on.

“I surprised myself just as much as my coaches. I’ve never gotten so many hugs from my coaches. It was such a wonderful feeling.”

The word on Bourgeous coming into this spring was that she had a great deal of talent in a somewhat fragile body.

This year’s track training regimen has been different, and it’s turned into a springboard for success.

“I think the workouts my coaches have had me doing have been a lot more low-impact, and I think that made a big difference for me,” she said. “Actually, I was reluctant to do them at first because I was used to doing much longer workouts, but my times have been dropping, so I can’t complain.”

In a sport where progress is measured in hundredths of a second, Bourgeous has vaulted into a whole new level as a result of the new training regimen.

“Last year, running in the mid 16s (16 seconds in the 100 hurdles) was good for me,” she said. “I was happy about that. This year, running in the mid 15s is good for me and, if I run in the 16s, I get worried.

“It’s interesting – I love how each year I’ve brought myself to a whole new level. Hopefully it will be like that next year for me.”

Along with the breakthrough on the stopwatch, Bourgeous has had a more personal breakthrough this season. Success in meets has brought with it a newfound confidence.

“I was disappointed coming into track this year,” she said “Last year I was really nervous coming into my meets. Going into my races I was a little scared. I would think about them all day, and it would eat at me. I think it really affected me and ate away at my confidence.”

Breaking through in her first meet gave her a tremendous boost.

Confidence is a hot commodity among East Valley hurdlers, both boys and girls. Senior Tim Armstrong owns the state’s second-best time in the 110 hurdles (14.54 seconds) – with a hand-held 14.2 that trumps any other mark this season. His 39.97 in the 300 also is among the state’s best.

“At our last home meet everyone on the hurdles team got a lifetime PR in the 300 hurdles,” Bourgeous said. “I don’t remember that ever happening. We were all just so excited, jumping up and down and cheering for each other.”

Now comes today’s final day of the east regional meet at Spokane Falls Community College. Class 3A teams qualify only two athletes to next week’s state meet in Pasco.

“Just the two berths to state – or you can run a qualifying time,” Bourgeous said. “I have a qualifying time in the 100 hurdles. I don’t in the 300, and I’m so worried. I have two girls in front of me (in the regional meet) and I know that, if I can stay with them, I’ll at least run a qualifying time.”

Bourgeous also anchors the team’s 4x100 relay team, a squad that should make plenty of noise at state.

“We ran a lifetime record in the 4 by 100 and broke the school record at the district meet,” she said. “And that was with each of us making shaky handoffs. If we clear that up, watch out.”

East Valley’s 49.96 eclipsed the school mark of 50 seconds flat and places the team among the top four relays in Class 3A.