Tearing Up The 200
SLIPPERY ROCK —Sometimes Anna Kadlubek doesn't feel very fast.
The sophomore's Slippery Rock High track and field teammates beg to differ.
Senior Emma McDermott found out first-hand just how speedy Kadlubek is when the two ran the 200-meter dash together in a meet against Hickory last week.
“The start is staggered in the 200 and I'm coming around the bend. I'm killing it,” McDermott said. “Then here comes Anna out of nowhere and just blows by me. She is so fast. She's a beast.”
Kadlubek has proven already in her short career on the track for the Rockets just what a beast she is.
Last year, she broke the school record in the 200 with a time of 25.95 seconds. The mark was once held by Slippery Rock legend Melissa Sopher, who is in the school's athletic hall of fame.
But a year passed before Kadlubek was able to break it again, this time sprinting to a time of 25.79 at the Mercer County meet, also last week.
No one was more surprised she set the mark again than Kadlubek.
“I didn't think I ran that fast,” Kadlubek said. “When I finished, I was like, 'Oh, that was slow.'”
It wasn't. It was fast – faster than she has ever run that event before.
It was also a relief. Since Kadlubek broke the mark the first time more than a year ago, she's been setting her sights on doing it again, but falling just short.
“It's been one of my goals,” Kadlubek said. “The 200 is my favorite race and I wanted to get it again.”
Kadlubek has been a beast in other ways for the Rockets this season.
Against Hickory she won three individual events and was also a part of a winning relay to help Slippery Rock win the region championship for the first time since 2009 — when Kadlubek was in the first grade.
“She's really stepped up,” said Slippery Rock boys and girls track and field coach Tom Meling. “There's no confidence issue with Anna.”
Kadlubek has worked on the finer points of her 200 race – mostly on the blocks.
Precious time can be gained or lost there and Kadlubek is more than cognizant of that fact.
“I work on the blocks a lot,” she said. “It's not the strongest point of my race. I'm definitely better than I was last year, but I still have a lot of work to do.”
Meling works with her extensively and Kadlubek heeds his advice.
“There's so much he tells us,” Kadlubek said. “He always tells us to explode out of the blocks and punch, punch, punch. He always makes a joke to make us laugh if things are getting too tense. He's a very good coach. He's very positive.”
Kadlubek will run in her biggest meet of the year Saturday in the District 10 championships at Slippery Rock University.
She will try to qualify for the PIAA Track and Field Championships after falling just short in several events last season.
“I'm very competitive and I definitely like to win,” Kadlubek said. “I'm just going to try to do my best.”
