A day after inclement weather pushed the girls track sectional to Wednesday, Hamilton Southeastern junior Anissa Lammie sprinted down the final straightaway with Hamilton Heights junior Norah Reiger on her heels.
Reiger owned the state’s No. 1 time entering Wednesday.
Lammie fought off a surge by Reiger in the closing meters. She poured everything into her final stride as she crossed the finish line.
She prevailed in a photo finish and captured her third consecutive sectional title in the 400 meters. Lammie clocked in a time of 55.19, while Reiger finished at 55.45.
Lammie also beat out Carmel senior Gabriela Grande Rosas, who held the second-best time in the state entering the postseason and placed third (56.13) in the event.
“I’ve been in this spot before, so I wanted to push hard, score points for my team and do it for God,” Lammie said. “I was injured at the beginning of the season so I’m just working back and training with my teammate Chloe (Senefeld) … so we’ve been pushing each other every day and it feels really good.”
Wednesday marked the third time that Lammie had competed in the 400 meters this season. She strained her hamstring earlier in the season — a setback that limited her time running the quarter mile.
Come Wednesday, there were no signs of ailment. Lammie dug down deep. She found enough burst and willpower to finish through when pitted against the best in the state. It was a clutch performance that shined a light on the spirit of Lammie. It’s like a flame that never goes out.
“She’s just so motivated, so determined,” Senefeld, an HSE senior, said. “She has a motivation. If someone’s coming up, she’s not going to give up, she won’t give up.”
Lammie’s confidence has soared since she was a freshman at HSE. During her first high school season, she became a 400-meter sectional and regional champion before she placed 27th at state with a time of 1:04.68 in the 400 meters.
A year later, she set a meet record at sectionals and won gold at regionals before she placed second (55.37) at state as a sophomore. She also helped the Royals capture a state title in the 4×400-meter relay on the grand stage.
Her improvement is the byproduct of the grind. It’s a journey rooted in dedication and perseverance. The kind that has powered her through injury as a junior for the Royals.
“She’s gotten a lot more confident,” Senefeld said. “Her freshman year, she was quieter, but people know who she is now, so just kind making more of a name for herself and getting that confidence.”
Lammie’s name is the type that garners respect. As an individual, she can fend off the best in the state. As a relay runner, she’s as dependable as they come. She’s a Nike Outdoor Nationals champion in the mixed 4×400 relay. She also ran second leg for HSE’s girls 4×400-meter relay team that placed first (3:50.56) at Wednesday’s sectional.
After her individual win in the 400 meters, Lammie laid on the turf, took off her yellow spikes and lifted her feet onto a metal bench. She used every ounce of her spirit to walk away victorious before she got up and did it again for the last event of the day.
That’s Lammie in her purest form, a competitor that grits their teeth and comes back with vengeance. Lammie, whose goal is to get recruited this season, answered the call for the third time in her career at sectionals — a confidence booster that could push her through the rest of this postseason.
“I’ve been training hard, working hard for this and I know if I keep on pushing through my times going to come,” Lammie said. “I just want to push hard, run fast with my team and just score points. We won the 4×400 last year and just trying to run it back.”
Team results: Carmel 156, Hamilton Southeastern 100, Westfield 97, Noblesville 85, Fishers 76, Hamilton Heights 46, Guerin Catholic 42, Lebanon 16, Lapel 4.
Top 3 individual results
4×800 relay: Carmel 9:20.81; Hamilton Southeastern 9:27.81; Fishers 9:39.83
100 hurdles: Katelyn Elben, Westfield, 14.94; Chloe Senefeld, Hamilton Southeastern, 15.08; Jenna Rhodes, Westfield, 15.22
100: Ainsley Meinerding, Noblesville, 12.23; Kaleah McCarter, Hamilton Southeastern, 12.27; Livi Miller, Carmel, 12.69
1600: Larkin Taylor, Carmel, 5:01.75; Sadie Foley, Carmel, 5:01.76; Ansley Applegate, Noblesville, 5:06.96
4×100: Hamilton Southeastern 48.25; Fishers 49.18; Noblesville 50.05
400: Anissa Lammie, Hamilton Southeastern, 55.19; Norah Reiger, Hamilton Heights, 55.45; Gabriela Grande Rosas, Carmel, 56.13
300 hurdles: Chloe Senefeld, Hamilton Southeastern, 41.44; Katelyn Eblen, Westfield, 44.26; Waverly Woolever, Hamilton Heights, 45.16
800: Kaitlyn Oshimura, Carmel, 2:12.06; Sadie Foley, Carmel, 2:14.01; Larkin Taylor, Carmel, 2:14.18
200: Ainsley Meinerding, Noblesville, 25.10; Zinnia Pineda, Fishers, 25.32; LeBraya Warren, Westfield, 25.71
3200: Lilly Higgins, Hamilton Heights, 10:25.94; Annabel Pollert, Carmel, 10:34.97; Zoe Gebhart, Hamilton Southeastern, 10:43.90
4×400 relay: Hamilton Southeastern 3:50.56; Carmel 3:53.89; Guerin Catholic 4:01.20
High jump: Gracie Czubik, Westfield, 5-5; Waverly Woolever, Hamilton Heights, 5-5; Kylee Black, Fishers, 5-0
Pole vault: Amelia Smith, Guerin Catholic, 12-9; Ella Jenkins, Westfield, 12-0; Zoe Travelsted, Guerin Catholic, 11-0
Long jump: Ainsley Meinerding, Noblesville 18-0.25; Rylan Bell, Noblesville, 17-1.75; Payton Hunter, Carmel, 16-11.5
Discus: Mia Tobias, Fishers, 135-11; Amyla Holder, Carmel, 133-1; Amelia Kring, Noblesville 131-0
Shot put: Mia Tobias, Fishers, 45-1.50; Nyla Young, Noblesville, 41-11; Amyla Holder, Carmel, 38-10
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HSE junior Anissa Lammie shows heart, wins 400-meter title at sectional meet
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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