Perry Hall's Krissy Jost said she went to yesterday's Class 4A state indoor track championships looking for a place in the record book.
With two of the strongest performances of her career, it didn't take long for the 5-foot-4, 108-pound powerhouse to find it.
The Gators senior broke free from the pack midway through the 1,600 and never looked back, winning in a state-record time of 5 minutes, 1.9 seconds to break Amanda White's two-year-old mark by four-tenths of a second.
Eleanor Roosevelt won the girls portion of the meet with 72 points, followed by Old Mill (44.5) and Frederick (44). Perry Hall took sixth and Dulaney ninth.
With her two wins, Jost scored 20 of her team's 24 points.
Slightly off record-pace with a quarter mile to go, the distance specialist went for broke.
"I decided that I just had to go for it," said Jost, who also surpassed her previous best by more than six seconds.
"I really didn't know what I was capable of today. I'm just glad it turned out the way it did."
She also came within four-tenths of a second of matching the record in the 3,200, winning that race in 10:47.5.
Other local athletes in the top five were Dulaney's Christina Chillemi (third in high jump) and Meghan White (second in 1,600, fifth in 800), the Western 1,600 relay team (third) and the Perry Hall 3,200 relay team
(fourth).
It was also a triumphant day for three of the area's boys teams.
Perry Hall finished second to champion Eleanor Roosevelt, while Mervo and Woodlawn took sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Gators scored in eight events, with their best finish coming from senior pole vaulter Dave Russell.
He won his event with a personal-best vault of 14 feet, 7 inches -- more than two feet better than the second-place finisher and six inches more than his previous best.
Other top finishers for Perry hall included Jeff Newman (fifth in pole vault), Jason Johnson (sixth in high jump), Joe Leilich (third in the 1,600, sixth in the 800), Chris Marye (fourth in the 3,200), Chaz Degalleford (third in shot put), Jim Banach (second in the 55 --) and the 3,200 relay team (third).
"We did about as well as I expected us to do," said coach Jerry Martin.
"Just about everyone ran their best times, but in a meet like this, the competition is just that good."
Mervo, in its first season of indoor track, was led by junior James Carter, who ran personal bests en route to wins in the 300 (36.93) and high hurdles (7.53).
The Mustangs also got solid performances out of senior Royston Lyttle, fourth in the 300 and sixth in the 55 --, and senior Jason Panniell (second in the high hurdles).
For coach Freddie Hendricks, whose team has competed this season without some of its best outdoor track athletes -- currently playing other sports -- the meet was the culmination of a successful winter.
"It's been a great experience for us," said Hendricks, who added that having his athletes in shape now is certain to cut down on the usual training-related injuries in the spring outdoor season.
"We've gotten so much of a greater jump than last year."
The Mustangs are expected to contend for a state title in the spring.
Woodlawn also made the top 10 thanks to wins in the 500 (Anthony Reid) and 800 relay (Craig Thompson, Reid, Tyrone Capers and Troy Thomas). Thomas also got sixth in the 300.