SLIPPERY ROCK — When Fred Urbaniak was a freshman, he stood a mere 5-foot-4 and barely weighed 100 pounds.

Certainly not the prototypical high school hurdler.

In fact, the hurdles were a bit intimidating to Urbaniak because of their height.

“I definitely wasn't fearless at first,” Urbaniak said. “But I got that mentality as I practiced.”

And got taller and stronger and faster.

“He was a late bloomer,” said Slippery Rock High boys and girls track and field coach Tom Meling. “Every year he gets bigger and stronger.”

Now a junior and 5-10 and 160 pounds of lean muscle, Urbaniak is a school record-holder.

He broke the mark in the 110-meter hurdles set by Isaac Osborne with a time of 14.95 seconds at the Hermitage Invitational over the weekend.

The time is also the second-fastest in the county behind Mars senior Ori Rinaman (14.3).

“I had no idea I broke the record,” Urbaniak said.

When he found out, he coudln't help but smile.

His sister, Heather, came just short of setting her own hurdling record during her time at Slippery Rock. A knee injury torpedoed her chances at a record time in the 100-meter hurdles.

Heather Urbaniak is now playing volleyball at Indiana (Pa.) University.

Fred Urbaniak is keeping the family hurdling tradition alive.

“She always just told me to run fast and don't count my steps,” Fred Urbaniak said of his sister's advice. “She helped me out a lot.”

So has Meling, who has quite a track record in coaching hurdlers at Slippery Rock.

He's mentored such notables as two-time state champion and Slippery Rock Hall of Famer Melissa Sopher, Abbey Basta, Ethan Geisler, Elissa McCune, Angie Shaffer, Aster Chmielewski and Heather Urbaniak.

“Coach Meling has been amazing,” Fred Urbaniak said. “He's such an inspiration to me.”

Urbaniak and Meling both think breaking 15 seconds is just the tip of the iceberg.

The goal is to reach 14.6 seconds before the year is out.

Urbaniak has been exposed to some of the best competition around.

During the winter, he competed in the indoor season against Warren JFK's Chad Zallow, who has the fastest time in the nation in the 110 hurdles this outdoor season with a time of 13.50.

Urbaniak has also competed against Rinaman at the Butler Invitational.

“It's really a great opportunity to run against guys who are faster than me,” Urbaniak said. “It pushes me. Some people shy away when they run against fast people and get discouraged. It just motivates me.”

Urbaniak has hit the weight room hard in an attempt to get stronger and faster.

Meling said it has paid off, as has his attention to the details of his form.

“Some are more natural inclined (for the hurdles), but you have to work at it and Fred has,” Meling said. “Last year his shoulders would get twisted and this year he's keeping those shoulders straight. He's getting a little lean, too, that all good hurdlers have and he's still working on his trail leg. That's always the last thing that comes.

“He has speed and he's gotten stronger,” Meling added. “And he probably has the best lead leg of any hurdler I've coached.”