SLIPPERY ROCK - Abby Basta no longer fears going headlong over a hurdle.

She no longer dreads banging her knees off the top of the barriers or awkwardly negotiating them in hopes of recording a reasonable time.

Things are different now for the Slippery Rock High School junior hurdler. Last year, she dreaded running the 100-meter hurdles.

"Because I was bad at them," Basta said, laughing. "It's a lot more fun when you can run them and not be worried about them. It's a lot more fun when you are not worried about falling on your face."

She has a scar on her right knee as proof of her struggles last season in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. Even with questionable technique, she placed second at the District 10 meet and nearly qualified for the state meet.

"Last year, I didn't have any technique. I admit it," Basta said. "I wasn't a hurdler at all. I was a sprinter who was just trying to make it over a hurdle."

This year, Basta feels like a hurdler and her times are way down.

Last year, she languished, recording times around 17 seconds in the 100 hurdles. In a meet against Grove City and Sharon Tuesday, Basta ran a time of 15.57 in the event.

That time is the fastest in District 10 and the quickest among all the schools in Butler County.

"Last year it took me half a season just to break 17," Basta said. "It took me to the end of the season to get to 16. I was pumped just to get to 16 and now it's so much fun to run in the 15s."

Tom Meling, who works with the Slippery Rock hurdlers, has been one of the big influences on Basta's rapid improvement.

Meling worked with Slippery Rock state champion Melissa Sopher when she was breaking all the school records in the event several years ago.

Meling helped Basta harness her raw hurdling talent and helped her with her technique.

"Last year, Mr. Meling wasn't a coach here, so I only got to see him once a week, and I didn't get to have him at the meet, so I had to be by myself," Basta said. "This year, I get him every day. We work for the whole practice at hurdling."

Meling thinks Basta can get down as far as 15.3 or 15.2 in the 100 hurdles by the end of the season.

Now that Slippery Rock has moved down to Class AA, that bodes well for Basta when it comes time to qualify for the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

"The qualifying standard is 16.1 in double A," Meling said. "She knows if she runs her race, she can get to state."

Once there, a run in the low 15s will most likely bring her a medal.

Winning a state title, though, will be a daunting task with Center's Lyndsay Dolan in the mix.

Basta squared off against Dolan in a recent invitation and watched with amazement as Dolan ran a 14.9 in the 100 hurdles.

"She ran with Dolan in every heat," Meling said. "It was good for her to see what fast was like."

Basta got off to a late start this season because of an ankle injury suffered during the basketball campaign.

But when she returned, she said she was amazed by how quickly everything fell into place.

"Once I started, it was more natural," Basta said. "I'm not sure why."

Meling has a theory. He thinks it's because the technique work had finally taken hold.

"Experience and muscle memory kicks in," Meling said. "She's a lot more relaxed. She just looks like a hurdler this season."

Basta definitely has the hurdler build with a lanky frame and long, powerful legs. But she never expected to be a hurdler when she joined the track and field team at Slippery Rock.

"I never thought I'd be a 100 hurdler," Basta said. "I watched girls who were actually good at them for my first two years and I'd be amazed by it. When I started, I was so bad."

She's not so bad now.

"It's a lot more fun when you are not," Basta said. "That's for sure."