LYNCHBURG — If you’re watching Kate Konyar run, you’re usually watching the clock just as much as you’re watching her — with no competitors in sight, the only real drama is trying to figure out just how fast the James Wood High School junior is going to cross the finish line.
On Saturday, track & field fans got a rare chance to witness Konyar as part of a pack. But once she decided to take her running up a notch, she created that familiar sight of separation all the way to the finish.
Konyar captured the first state title of her career on Saturday, taking the 3,200 by 3.26 seconds in 11:02.34.
Konyar was a step out of the lead after one lap. She took a one-step lead on the backstretch on lap two and held a tight lead from there — one step after two laps, one step after three laps, two steps after four laps, then two steps after five laps.
On lap six, Konyar showed that she wasn’t content to just sit on her lead.
“The strategy really was just to go out and see how the field is doing,” Konyar said. “I knew those girls I was running against were all really good 800 runners. I’m not really as good at middle distance, so I can’t really kick too late, because they could kick and outkick me, definitely.
“I’m good at holding a pace for a long time, so I was like, ‘I need to kick early.’ That’s why [on the sixth lap] I kind of broke away and was like, ‘We need to go now.'”
By the end of six laps, Konyar had stretched her lead from a step to seven meters. She recorded a 1:22.39 during that 400, her second fastest lap of the day. Konyar then extended her lead to 10 meters by the end of the seventh lap.
During the final 200, the public address announcer tried to insert a little drama by commenting about Blacksburg freshman Lola Olsen, who was running fast and moved up from third to second.
Olsen had the fastest final 400 but she never came close to Konyar after starting the final lap almost five seconds behind her. Konyar sizzled with the race’s No. 2 final lap in 1:17.41, and she could have gone faster if she wanted. Instead, she chose the last 20 meters to savor the moment, raising her hands in the air in anticipation of her victory.
Last year, Konyar was fourth in the Class 4 outdoor 3,200. During indoor season, Konyar took second in the state 3,200 to another Blacksburg freshman in Ruthie Delapp, who was fourth in 11:22.36 on Saturday. Konyar was also second at the Class 4 state cross country meet in the fall to Elaina Pierce of Charlottesviile.
“It was just insane,” said Konyar when asked about her immediate thoughts after winning. “After indoor, and coming up short, it was unreal to know that I finally did it. I’ve gotten second so many times at states, just to know I’m a state champ now, it hit deep.”
After the race, Konyar said she shared an emotional moment with James Wood head coach Danielle Koelker.
“I saw [Koelker], and she was crying, and I started crying,” Konyar said. “[James Wood senior] Eli [Clark] came up to hug me. Everyone was crying. It was just unreal.”
Koelker thought it was smart for Konyar to start her surge when she did.
“I knew she was strong enough to pick up the pace and hold it longer than some probably can,” Koelker said. “As far as I’m concerned, she ran that absolutely perfect.
“I was super excited for her when I saw her after the race. I ran past the bullpen to go find her. She saw me, and we hugged it out. It was a proud moment for both of us, I think.”
In the 1,600, Konyar was in second in the fast heat after three laps while Pierce was off in her own world en route to winning in 4:56.96. But at that point, the heat and fatigue set in for Konyar, and she settled for fourth in her heat and sixth overall in a very solid time of 5:17.67, just 6.10 seconds off her best time. Konyar actually came in seeded ninth, so she did well in that regard.
“The sun came out during [the race], which was really unfortunate,” Konyar said. “But I’m still proud. I ended right there with all the girls who did the two-mile with me. [State medal] finish, so definitely proud.”
Her senior teammate Ruby Ostrander had reason to be proud as well. She ran in the heat before Konyar’s and placed second, and as it turned out, fifth overall ahead of Konyar in her only race of the day. The Radford signee came in seeded 15th and set a season PR by 1.22 seconds by finishing in 5:16.64.
“I couldn’t be happier for her, especially as a senior,” Koelker said. “I think indoor didn’t go quite how she wanted it to for her senior year. I was really hoping she could kind of show what she’s got in a way for outdoor.
“I knew she’s been training really strong and crushing all of the workouts. I knew she could perform well, and she did exactly that at states. I think she’s happy with how her high school career ended as far as her time and her place and everything. I think it was just awesome that she placed from the slow heat.”
On Friday, Konyar was part of the 4×800 team that placed seventh. Junior Katelyn Palmer, sophomore Ally Oliver and senior Ruby Ostrander helped the relay record a time of 9:47.76. James Wood came in seeded seventh with a time of 9:44.86, 2.32 seconds behind the school record set in 2001.
“We wanted to break the school record, but overall, we were happy,” Konyar said.
James Wood had five other performances from eighth to 10th. Isabelle French (10th in the 100 hurdles) was the only one who had a personal record. Olivia Boyce (10th in the long jump) is the lone senior of that group.
“I kept telling them every time I saw them throughout the meet that they should be so proud of themselves even just for making it to states,” Koelker said. “Even if not’s the performance they wanted exactly, I still could not be more proud of them.”