Simms 2nd in Arizona
A setting sun, 75 degrees, dry air — Liz Simms didn't mind being “spoiled” for a night.
The Butler junior made the most of it Saturday evening, placing second in the 800 meters at the Chandler (Ariz.) Rotary Elite track meet.
Simms flew to Arizona Friday to compete in the race, courtesy of an invitation from Matt Lincoln and his wife, Butler graduate and Golden Tornado pole vault record holder Melanie Buczko Lincoln. They coach track and field at Chandler High School, site of the meet.
“(Butler assistant coach) Mike Seybert coached Melanie when she was at Butler,” Butler track coach John Williams said. “When Melanie was inducted into our high school hall of fame, her and Mike re-connected a little bit.
“We were able to get Liz into this race and it was a great experience for her. It was big, being able to run in 80-degree weather i nstead of the 38 degrees we have here.”
In that sense, Simms did feel spoiled. But she had no coach there with her.
“That was a little different,” she said. “But my dad was there to support me and I know how to prepare myself for a race now. It was nice to experience being on my own that way.
“I wasn't sure how my body would respond to the change in weather, but it responded very well. “I got out here and went for a 25-minute run. It felt great. It made me feel confident going into the race.”
Chandler's own Morgan Foster won the 800 with a time of 2 minutes, 14.67 seconds. Simms ran a 2:15.26.
It marked the second time she was part of a second-place finish in an out-of-state race Simms joined Erin LeMay, Maggie Welty and Chesna Tomko in running a school-record 9:23.96, placing second at the New Balance National Indoor meet in New York City a few weeks ago.
Saturday, Simms was less than a second off her WPIAL-winning time of 2:14.91 of last spring.
“Running in the 2:15's this early is a good time for her right now,” Williams said. “There were top runners from 10 states at that (Arizona) meet, including Arizoa, California, New Mexico ... states where runners have a big advantage in terms of weather.”
Now Simms is back home, ready to run in Pennsylvania weather. Butler opens its outdoor track season Monday.
“My body will adapt to our weather again,” Simms said. “I've run in it all my life. I'll take advantage of the warm days we get and I'll run on the cold days, too.
“I just had to take advantage of being able to run in 75 degrees this soon. That felt really good and who knows when I'll run in weather like that again?”
Simms' goal is to run in the 2:11's by the end of the season.
