Laura is a phenomenon. A cute phenomenon. You might think of her as a sprinter--eventually an 800 specialist--but her range, speed, and endurance are all equally astonishing. Get this: She just set a new state record in the 200m--after she'd already run the state's best time in the 1,600m (mile) that same day!!
I cannot think of anyone, male or female, whose range extended all the way from 100 to the mile.
Here's a cut and paste:
Laura Roesler didn't like the way her 1,600-meter race went on
Friday. She later took out her frustration on the 200.
That frustration helped produce North Dakota's best-ever girls high
school time in that event.
The Fargo South sensation covered the distance on the Bismarck
Community Bowl track in an astounding 24.01 seconds to highlight
the Bismarck High-Century High Invitational girls track and field
meet. The time beat the previous meet record - held by Carrington's
Whitney Carlson - by .97 seconds, and Roesler's bowl record by .29
seconds. Roesler's previous best of 24.30, set during the 2006
Class A state meet, was the all-time best for North Dakota high
school girls going in.
Earlier in the day, Roesler posted a winning time of 5:03.12 in the
1,600. It was a PR for Roesler and the state's best time to date.
However, the senior was far from satisfied.
"The race didn't go the way that I had hoped," she said. "It's a
good time, but it wasn't what I thought I could do today. I was
kind of mad about it. I was still mad when I ran the 200."
Roesler, who competed in just two events Friday, said going for a
PR wasn't the first thing on her mind at the start of the
200.
"I just wanted to run a strong race and let out a little
frustration," she said. "I felt good the whole way. The wind was at
my back the last 100 meters, so I had a feeling it was going to be
a good time. When I heard (the time) I was both excited and
disappointed. One of my goals this year is breaking 24 seconds, and
I was so close. It made me think that if I had pushed a little
more, or leaned a little more at the finish line, I would have
gotten it.
"But this gives me confidence that I can achieve that goal,"
Roesler continued. "At first, I thought maybe it wasn't achievable.
Now I know it is."
Roesler won the race by 1.07 seconds. Morgan Milbrath of Minot was
the second runner to finish.
Roesler, who has won the Class A girls 100, 200, 400 and 800 in
each of the previous four seasons and has 17 state championships to
her credit, now owns the state's best times in the 100 (12.07), 200
(24.01), 400 (54.75) and 1,600 (5:03.12) this season. She has yet
to run in an 800-meter race in 2010. She is considering competing
in the 1,600 at the state meet.
"I've never run in that event at state before. I'm thinking I might
try it, and it'll depend on how things go the next few weeks,"
Roesler said. "If I do, I'll probably drop the 100. We'll
see."
