Street earns second 400 medal

By Kristi Nixon

DES MOINES — Meredith Street was sitting pretty in pink (and green).

The Osage senior sprinter ran her final high school 400, medaling for a second time in the event, running to 59.57 seconds to finish fifth.

She also reached the final in the 100-meter dash with the third-fastest time and the 200 with the sixth-fastest time out of heat two.

“I’m happy to wrap up the day knowing…maybe the sprint med, too, but I’ll place in at least three events,” Street said. “It’s sad knowing I’m at the last state tournament.”

And Street, as well as Katelyn Johnston, had fresh manicures while running the track.

“We love pink,” Street said of her nails. “With graduation last weekend, I wanted to get them done, but didn’t want them to be boring, I went with a color that went with lots of things.”

Even with her experience, knowing it was the final time running the 400 brought out the butterflies with Street, who ran 26.47 in the 200 qualifying and 12.93 in the 100, faster than any runner in the final heat.

“I was nervous coming in, last one, last year,” she said. “I feel like I had a break-out season last year and (want to) add on to that this year, make it to the finals in my events and place. Doing that today, takes a weight off my chest, it makes me more excited for Saturday.

“I wasn’t too worried about (running the 100 prelim in) lane 8, just because the 100 is all the same. You all run in a straight line. I took it as a challenge. They don’t think I’m going to run what I normally run. ‘I’m going to prove them wrong,’ kind of mindset.”

After the first day with Street and Johnston’s medals, Osage is in fifth place in the team race with 10 points. The Green Devils are 15 points back of first-place Mid-Prairie.

“I think it can be an exciting fight,” Street said. “It’s going to come down to some relays.”