BEMIDJI -- Most track and field events involve individual athletes competing on their own.
As the lone Lumberjack -- boy or girl -- in this year’s Class AA track and field state championship, that’s certainly the case for Jordan Mann.
The Bemidji High School junior will race against some of the fastest runners in Minnesota in the 100-meter dash Friday, June 8, at Hamline University in St. Paul. After a one-year absence, Mann is making her return to state after running the 100 in 12.8 seconds as a freshman.
“I’m super excited,” she said. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to go back and experience state again.”
Making another trip to Klas Field is what Mann aimed for from the start of the season.
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“It was a huge goal to go back because after I had something going on my sophomore year where I just wasn’t able to make it really disappointed me. So being able to go back was a gigantic goal of mine, at the top of my list of goals.”
Mann ran the 100 in 12.82 seconds at the Section 8AA finals on a windy day in Moorhead last Saturday, earning a runner-up finish and a state berth. Entering Friday, Mann hopes to set a new personal record in the event, which is currently 12.56 seconds.
“I think this year she’s really dedicated herself to track and she’s putting some hard work into practice,” BHS girls head coach Chris Lehman said. “She’s definitely working a lot harder and her times have definitely shown through her hard work. She’s improved tremendously this year in the 100 and 200, even though she’s just competing at state in the 100.”
Narrowly missing qualifying for state in the 200 at sections, Mann has frequently ran the anchor leg of Bemidji’s 4x100 relay this season.
“She’s been a huge asset to our team,” Lehman said. “She moved up here I think as as ninth grader so she’s definitely been a big asset to our track program in the sprints this year, especially with someone with that amount of speed.”
Running short-distance events as she does, Mann said she needs to remind herself to not worry as much about her competitors and focus on her performance.
“Pace yourself and focus on yourself because I have a really bad problem with racing and not running,” Mann said. “Racing is basically pushing yourself to beat the other person, and running is focusing on yourself the entire time.”
It can be difficult in a marquee race, like the 100, where it may seem to sprinters that the whole crowd has its eyes on them.
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“It’s a lot of pressure because everyone’s watching you usually,” Mann said. “Everyone’s basically paying attention to see who the fastest girl is or whatever on the team.”
Though she is the only Lumberjack competing this weekend, Mann will have the support of her teammates, some of whom are planning to make the trip to cheer her on.
Having reached state for the second time in her career, Mann said her next goal is to relish the chance she has to compete among Minnesota’s best.
“Being able to enjoy myself really, and realizing that I’m able to go back again is a really big opportunity and not try to bring myself down,” Mann said.
The prelims for the girls 100-meter dash are scheduled for 9:50 a.m. Friday. Finals will take place Saturday morning.
