By her own admission, it took Bri Crisci awhile to round into form this spring.
“At the beginning of the season, I just wasn’t in the groove,” the Hall-Dale senior sprinter said. “But as time has passed I’ve become more into it. I’ve become more determined.”
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It’s showing in her results.
Crisci is one of the top sprinters in Class C. Against a talented field, Crisci swept the sprinting events, winning the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes at the Capital City Classic at Alumni Field in Augusta last Friday.
She hopes to do that again today at the Mountain Valley Conference championship meet, and then again at the Class C state meet in two weeks. Both meets are at Alumni Field in Augusta.
“I want to get a (personal record) in all my events,” Crisci said. “I’m ready to go.”
Added Hall-Dale coach Jarod Richmond: “She’s had an amazing year. She continues to be outstanding. It’s a lot of fun to watch her run. It never gets old.”
Crisci is the two-time defending Class C state champ in the 200. She had a shot to win the 100 as well, only to be disqualified for a false start.
The setback still sits with Crisci, who is looking to finish her high school career with nothing but top podium spots.
“I’m more determined to prove myself,” she said. “Not just to others, but to myself. I want to prove I can do better.”
Crisci ran the 100 in 12.83 seconds at the Capital City Classic. It was her fastest time of the season. She followed that up with a victory in the 200, finishing in 27.35, which also bested her seed time.
“It was pretty amazing,” she said. “I was so overjoyed.”
But it was her performance in the 400 — a new event for her this season — that pleased her the most. Crisci shaved three seconds off her previous best time in the event, finishing in 1:00.97 to easily win the race.
Hall-Dale coaches convinced Crisci to add the 400 to her repertoire this season. It hasn’t slowed her down, although it took some time to adjust to running it.
The 400, while still a sprint, differs greatly from the 100 and 200 because there is more strategy involved. How fast do you start out? When do you kick it in for the sprint?
“It’s very different,” Crisci said. “It’s the hardest sprint. I had to treat it like doing a 200, and then add another 200. I had to work on it, but I knew I could do it.”
So, too, did her coaches.
“We asked her to do the 400, and she’s been phenomenal,” Richmond said. “We didn’t have a lot of depth in the relays, so we decided to put her in an open event. The 400 seemed natural. I knew she could do it. I figured in the open 400 she’d have as much a chance as anyone.
The list of top sprinters isn’t too long, and she’s in that discussion.”
“She has wheels,” Winthrop coach Ed Van Tassel said. “It’s nice to see Bri has the range from 100, 200 and 400. To see that progression is pretty good. She is a great competitor.”
Crisci will lead a talented Hall-Dale squad into the MVC championships today at Alumni Field. The Bulldogs hope to challenge Lisbon for the title.
Crisci, who will run for Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, N.C., in the fall, also knows her days to make an impact on a high school track are numbered.
“I’m excited,” Crisci said. “These are the last two races of my high school career. I want to go all out. I want to give it my best.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5640
bstewart@centralmaine.com
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