Windham High School senior CiAnne Plummer didn’t know she’d qualified for the National Track and Field competition in race walking until her coach hung a sign telling the world.
“I didn’t think anything past states,” she said.
This was only her second season in the event. “I found out I was good at it,” she said. “It’s the hardest event in track. It’s so demanding on your body,” she said. The key to race walking is keeping one foot in contact with the ground at all times and the striking leg must be kept straight until it’s placed, according to Plummer.
Plummer is ranked tenth in the nation for the 1600 meter/1 mile race finishing at 8:24 as her best time. To qualify for nationals in race walking the athlete must finish under 9 minutes.
There are not a lot of race walkers in the State of Maine, but luckily for Plummer there is a coach in Gorham who offered to help her train with one of his athletes, who also qualified for nationals.
One of Plummer’s friends on the team made sure that everyone key that Plummer had qualified for nationals which will be held in Greensboro, NC, June 14 through the 16. When Plummer arrived home after practice, she parked behind her father’s car so she could tell him before he left the driveway. “I ran to my dad to tell him,” she said.
“I’ll go if I can get the money for it,” Plummer said. She wasn’t sure if the school would help pay for travel to the meet. “I’ll go if I can,” she said.
She plans on attending the University of Southern Maine in the fall, majoring in environmental science, while running cross country and track. “If you go to nationals and place, it’s a really big deal,” she said.
Plummer also competes in long jump, distance running during outdoor track and cross country in the fall. She also has been on the swim and the indoor track teams.
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