Atlantic senior Thalia Waters was somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife for the Eagles girls track team this season.
The UF signee captured first in the 100 hurdles and long jump in the Class 3A state meet and added a fifth-place finish in the 100 and an eighth-place finish as a member of the 4×100 relay team.
“I started the year kind of rough, with some ups and downs, but then I did great,” said Waters, who had initial difficulty transitioning from the indoor season with her club team to high school. The other difficult transition is the back-to-back races with the 100 hurdles and the 100 dash at the meets, and sometimes having to work in field events at the same time.
“It isn’t that difficult transitioning between the events,” she said. “It is more about the recovery time. I was really happy with my hurdle time dropping that much and also happy with my long jump. It was so surreal. I dropped almost a second in the hurdles.
At the county meet, Waters added to her medal collection by winning the 100 hurdles, 100, and the 4×100 relay and picked up a bronze medal with the personal-best clocking of 24.65 seconds in the 200. She helped Atlantic to a seventh-place finish at state.
“My regional meet this year, where I PR’d in everything, was probably the best meet of my life,” Waters said. “I felt great at state.”
During her career at the school, she picked up personal-best clockings in the 100 (11.79), 100 hurdles (13.10), 400 (1:02.51), 400 hurdles (1:07.68), 200 (24.65), 800 (2:40.91), 300 hurdles (44.28), high jump (5-1 ¾), and long jump (20-2 1/5).
She’s the school-record holder in both the long jump and the 100 hurdles, with her 100 hurdles effort the fastest for a female high schooler in the country, according to MileSplit.
“I am most proud of being an All-American during my indoor season of track at the New Balance nationals setting a new PR in the 60mH with a time of 8.25 which has me sitting third in the country,” Waters said. “I just came back this season stronger and better than I’ve ever been all thanks to God.”
Waters is looking forward to becoming a Gator.
“It’s been my dream school,” she said. “To be able to go there and perform is something I am looking forward to.”
