Hasenohr is used to outrunning her taller competition
Cami Hasenohr says she’s 5-foot-3. Her Wilber-Clatonia track coach, Craig Penner, puts her at 5-2.
Give or take an inch, the fact of the matter is that Hasenohr is quite often the shortest runner in the starting blocks for her 100- and 200-meter dash races, something she’s become accustomed to through the years.
The competition, however, finds beating the senior to the finish line a tall order. Hasenohr is the defending Class C state champion in the girls 100 and is undefeated so far this season in that event after breaking the tape at the very windy Tri County Invitational on Tuesday.
Hasenohr, second in the Class C 200 last year at state, also won that event Tuesday. She’s not unscathed this season in that race, however, as Hastings St. Cecilia’s Abby Jackson beat her at the Sandy Creek Invitational.
“The great thing about track is I can run, no matter my size,” said Hasenohr, who started running track in seventh grade. “When I see everyone else bigger than I am, it motivates me. I tell myself, ‘I can do this.’’’
The size differential was never greater than it was in the 200 at state last year. In the lane next to her was someone about a foot taller — 6-2 Amber Hegge of Crofton, the 2006 and 2007 Journal Star Girls Prep Athlete of the Year who now plays basketball and competes in track at South Dakota.
“I looked up and thought, ‘Wow, she’s tall,’’’ Hasenohr said laughing Tuesday, recalling the race that Hegge won in 25.49 seconds. Hasenohr was second in 25.74. “It was a challenge running against someone that tall and that fast. I didn’t win, but it pushed me to a better time.’’
Penner says Hasenohr more than makes up for her lack of height with determination, hard work and paying attention to small details in her training and running technique.
“She’s only 5-2, but she’s got a tremendously long stride for her size,’’ Penner said. “She runs like someone who’s 5-7 or 5-8. She combines that with great knee drive, and the fact she can maintain both of those things for a whole race makes her a very good sprinter.
“She’s a smart runner who’s always willing to make adjustments in her starts and running form to get better,” he added. “She‘s gotten better every year, and you don‘t always see that in girls sprinters.’’
It’s been a steady rise through the ranks for Hasenohr. She qualified for state as a freshman in the 100 but didn’t medal. In 2006 as a sophomore, Hasenohr took third in both the 100 and 200.
Earlier in her high school career, Hasenohr also played volleyball and basketball. But as a senior, Hasenohr has focused strictly on track. She diligently went three times a week during the offseason to do acceleration training at Madonna Pro-Active, a regimen that Hasenohr says has made her stronger and more explosive.
A series of minor injuries — tight leg muscles, sore ankles and a bothersome back — and poor weather for meets has kept Hasenohr from seeing the full benefit of that training so far.
“Now it’s a matter of getting my endurance built up, then my times should come down’’ says Hasenohr, whose best times this spring are 12.5 seconds in the 100 (her best in 2007 was 12.3) and 26.5 seconds in the 200 (Hasenohr ran 25.75 at state last year).
“I’d like to get to 12.0 or 12.1 soon in the 100 and 25.0 in the 200.’’
And she may need to go lower than that to win both the 100 and 200 this year. Laurel-Concord sophomore Bethany DeLong currently leads the state Class C charts with a 12.1 in the 100 and a 25.7 in the 200. DeLong had an 11.9 in the 100 and a 25.8 in the 200 a year ago heading into state, both faster than what Hasenohr had run. Hasenohr beat DeLong in both races at state.
“The (University of) Nebraska coaches have told me if she can get down to 11.8 (in the 100) and 24.8 (in the 200), they’d probably give her some scholarship money,” Penner said of Hasenohr, a 2007 Academic All-Stater who is leaning toward taking a scholarship to run at Doane but is being recruited as a walk-on at NU.
“Cami will probably have to run those kinds of times to win state, and she’s capable of it,’’ Penner added. “She runs her best in the big meets, and it showed last year when she peaked at state.’’
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
Give or take an inch, the fact of the matter is that Hasenohr is quite often the shortest runner in the starting blocks for her 100- and 200-meter dash races, something she’s become accustomed to through the years.
The competition, however, finds beating the senior to the finish line a tall order. Hasenohr is the defending Class C state champion in the girls 100 and is undefeated so far this season in that event after breaking the tape at the very windy Tri County Invitational on Tuesday.
Hasenohr, second in the Class C 200 last year at state, also won that event Tuesday. She’s not unscathed this season in that race, however, as Hastings St. Cecilia’s Abby Jackson beat her at the Sandy Creek Invitational.
“The great thing about track is I can run, no matter my size,” said Hasenohr, who started running track in seventh grade. “When I see everyone else bigger than I am, it motivates me. I tell myself, ‘I can do this.’’’
The size differential was never greater than it was in the 200 at state last year. In the lane next to her was someone about a foot taller — 6-2 Amber Hegge of Crofton, the 2006 and 2007 Journal Star Girls Prep Athlete of the Year who now plays basketball and competes in track at South Dakota.
“I looked up and thought, ‘Wow, she’s tall,’’’ Hasenohr said laughing Tuesday, recalling the race that Hegge won in 25.49 seconds. Hasenohr was second in 25.74. “It was a challenge running against someone that tall and that fast. I didn’t win, but it pushed me to a better time.’’
Penner says Hasenohr more than makes up for her lack of height with determination, hard work and paying attention to small details in her training and running technique.
“She’s only 5-2, but she’s got a tremendously long stride for her size,’’ Penner said. “She runs like someone who’s 5-7 or 5-8. She combines that with great knee drive, and the fact she can maintain both of those things for a whole race makes her a very good sprinter.
“She’s a smart runner who’s always willing to make adjustments in her starts and running form to get better,” he added. “She‘s gotten better every year, and you don‘t always see that in girls sprinters.’’
It’s been a steady rise through the ranks for Hasenohr. She qualified for state as a freshman in the 100 but didn’t medal. In 2006 as a sophomore, Hasenohr took third in both the 100 and 200.
Earlier in her high school career, Hasenohr also played volleyball and basketball. But as a senior, Hasenohr has focused strictly on track. She diligently went three times a week during the offseason to do acceleration training at Madonna Pro-Active, a regimen that Hasenohr says has made her stronger and more explosive.
A series of minor injuries — tight leg muscles, sore ankles and a bothersome back — and poor weather for meets has kept Hasenohr from seeing the full benefit of that training so far.
“Now it’s a matter of getting my endurance built up, then my times should come down’’ says Hasenohr, whose best times this spring are 12.5 seconds in the 100 (her best in 2007 was 12.3) and 26.5 seconds in the 200 (Hasenohr ran 25.75 at state last year).
“I’d like to get to 12.0 or 12.1 soon in the 100 and 25.0 in the 200.’’
And she may need to go lower than that to win both the 100 and 200 this year. Laurel-Concord sophomore Bethany DeLong currently leads the state Class C charts with a 12.1 in the 100 and a 25.7 in the 200. DeLong had an 11.9 in the 100 and a 25.8 in the 200 a year ago heading into state, both faster than what Hasenohr had run. Hasenohr beat DeLong in both races at state.
“The (University of) Nebraska coaches have told me if she can get down to 11.8 (in the 100) and 24.8 (in the 200), they’d probably give her some scholarship money,” Penner said of Hasenohr, a 2007 Academic All-Stater who is leaning toward taking a scholarship to run at Doane but is being recruited as a walk-on at NU.
“Cami will probably have to run those kinds of times to win state, and she’s capable of it,’’ Penner added. “She runs her best in the big meets, and it showed last year when she peaked at state.’’
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
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