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South Jordan Journal

Meet Two Major Miner Track Stars

May 05, 2016 03:15PM ● By Tori La Rue

By Tori La Rue | tori@mycityjournals

South Jordan - This year Andrea Brown, Bingham High School senior, made a hard decision. 

“I quit soccer to focus on track,” Andrea, former captain of Bingham’s girls soccer team, said. “It was really hard at first and I cried a lot, but I just found myself liking track a lot more and doing really well in it. It’s been worth it.” 

Last year Andrea took fourth in the 300-meter hurdle in state track, setting a new school record, and participated in Bingham’s 4x4 relay, which took second at state and also set a new school record. This year, she ranks second in state, and said she’s ready to try to snag first place. 

Andrea’s draw to hurdling her freshman year came from her father’s example. He raced hurdles in college. She said that’s why she opted to try something different from the “norm of sprinting or distance.”

“I think hurdle is one of the hardest events,” Andrea said. “We’re always the first and last ones on track. It takes a lot of footwork and technique and endurance, and it takes a couple years to get the form right. I still don’t think I have completely mastered it.” 

Andrea’s senior year track season has been full of state and national meets that she said have stretched her as an athlete. At a national meet in April she ran a new personal best and took second place in her heat. At the same meet her 4x4 team beat their personal best and ran the fastest time by a Utah team for the 2016 spring season. 

Andrea hopes to continue doing hurdles at the collegiate level at the University of Utah, Utah Valley University or Utah State University, while she studies nutrition and dietetics. 

“I like the competition,” she said. “I’m a competitor at heart, and I like seeing the best that I can do and seeing how that can change with hard work.” 

This year, Molly Sasine’s 113-foot javelin throw at Kearns High School on March 12 scored her the No. 3 performance in 2016 to date at girls javelin. Her 121.5-foot javelin throw a month later qualified her for state track and field. 

Molly, 17, attributes her win, in part, to wrestling. With four brothers, Molly grew up around wrestling, so she said it was no surprise that her sophomore year at Bingham High School she found herself as the manager of the wrestling team. 

“The other managers of the wrestling team were doing javelin in track, and they kept telling me that I should try it, so I did, and I just kept on doing it,” Molly said. “I was just doing it to do something. I didn’t really think I’d get good at it.” 

Molly surprised herself at her first junior varsity region meet as a sophomore when she threw the javelin 104 feet, beating her personal record by 20 feet, that qualified her for state. 

“I threw it and I was like, ‘Dang,’ because I was so scared that I would screw it up, but it turned out really good,” Molly said. “It was one of those times where everything just lined up perfectly. That doesn’t happen often enough.” 

Javelin is more about technique than being super strong, according to Molly. She said she’s been inspired by girls who are bigger than she is and girls who “are sticks” but she said her brother, Kent, has inspired her the most. 

Kent threw javelin for three years at Bingham High School. Only one school grade above Molly, the siblings threw javelin together for two years.

“He was like a coach and a mentor for me, and I think we really grew closer from that,” Molly said. “I can honestly say he is like one of my bestest friends. It is something we share and have a fun time.” 

Not only was her brother her teammate, but her team became her family.

“Everyone on track just cheers each other on,” Molly said. “It doesn’t matter if they aren’t in the same group as you. You are all supportive, and that’s one thing I really like about it.” 

Even with track meets and practices, Molly managed to keep her GPA at a 3.89. Looking forward to the future, Molly said she’s excited to be heading to BYU Hawaii in the fall.