WHITEHALL — Three weeks ago, Emily Horstman lay near the track at Butler High School and clutched her left ankle.

It was a freak accident — while warming up for her next event, Horstman rolled her ankle on a hurdle that was lying near the track — and she thought the worst.

“I thought my season, my career was over,” said the Butler senior sprinter. “I think it made things click for me. It just showed me how much I really cared about track. When I got hurt, I was so sad. I just wanted to get better and keep pushing myself.”

That drive allowed Horstman to have a record-setting day Thursday at the WPIAL Girls Class AAA Track and Field Championships at Baldwin High School.

Horstman won three gold medals, winning the 100 with a time of 12.03 seconds, the 200 with a school record effort of 25.03 and ran the lead leg on the Butler 1,600-meter relay team that also set a school mark with a time of 3 minutes, 54 seconds.

She highlighted a strong day for the Butler girls track and field team.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Horstman said, her smile wide and as bright as the medals around her neck that glinted in the setting sun. “It’s crazy. It’s just so hard to believe. When the season started, I never thought I’d do what I have done. I never thought I’d get this far.”

Horstman began her day with a slow start in the 100, but turned it on in the final 50 meters to edge Ashley Amato of Plum.

Her 200 race was even closer, but again Horstman’s late kick gave her a .03 second edge over MacKenzie Aunkst of Penn Trafford.

“At that point I was just so tired, I wanted to get across the finish line,” Horstman said, laughing.

She will be taxed again in Shippensburg at the PIAA Track and Field Championships over Memorial Day weekend.

Horstman will team with Shana Hoy, Liz Simms and Alexis Leech in the 1,600 relay and also will run with Maddie Glew, Odile Enslen and Hoy in the 400-meter relay at the PIAA meet.

For Butler coach John Williams, it’s a good problem to have.

“Three golds, baby,” Williams said. “We love to watch her run and we’re going to get to see her run a lot more.”

Butler also had a pair of second-place finishes with Leech in the 400 and Simms in the 800.

Taylor Weaver was third in the pole vault.

Williams, though, was most giddy about the performance of his 1,600 relay team.

“They’re aggressive kids,” Williams said. “They want it and they go after it. Today was the day to go get it. And next week too, man. We can’t rest on this.”