Fabulous Freshman Fights for Finals in 400m

A freshman qualifying for states is a feat. A freshman qualifying in three events is just about unheard of.

Hallie Grimes has lots of potential in front of her but right now, she’s focused on the immediate future: an appearance at the 2011 FHSAA class 3A state finals.

On Friday, Hallie will go up against the best that the state of Florida has to offer. She stands a chance to rock some people’s worlds. There’s no doubt that Miami Jackson’s Robin Reynolds will be back to defend her state title in the 400m. However, she might have a skinny, blond girl chasing her down. Robin clinched the state title in 400m last year with a scorching time of 54.02 seconds; a crazy fast time for a female athlete.

Hallie may or may not top that time, but the experience will give her the test of her young life. Hallie is used to people being behind her in the 400m. She won the 3A District 7 title in 400m this year with a time of 59.35 seconds. That time is way off from a state champion time but Hallie continues to shave seconds off her performance.

“I try to get a little better every time,” she said.

She does just that. Hallie ran a 58.70 second 400m in prelims at regionals this year, shaving just a bit more off of that district time.

Fatigue becomes a factor for the young athlete as she also runs the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. She is very likely to make finals in the open 400m. That means she could run four races in one day. Previously, she ran the 200m along with the other races. An athlete may enter up to four events. Hallie will be competing at state finals in three.

Last year’s 400m final cutoff time was 59.15 seconds. Hallie should be fine getting into the finals but she will have to run the race of her life to bring some hardware home to Land O’ Lakes.

If there’s anyone that can do it; it’s Hallie.

“I’ve never seen anyone with such natural-born speed in my 15 years of coaching track,” said Coach Rock Ridgeway.

Hallie has a special relationship with her coach.

“We’re really close. He pushes me a lot and is the main reason I’ve gotten better,” she said.

Hallie didn’t happen accidentally to be a fantastic runner. Her father was a track athlete, her uncle was a track athlete, her older cousin Hunter Clasen is a track star at Georgia Tech who ran a 47.38 second 400m race in 2010.

“He (Hunter) is a source of inspiration for me,” she said.

Hallie ran track at Ben Hill Junior High School in Hillsborough County, starting off in the 100m and 200m. Hallie’s dad Eddie and Coach Ridgeway are long-time friends.

When she came over to Land O’ Lakes, she was not excited about running the 400m at first.

“I didn’t think I would be good at it. It seemed too long,” she said.

Coach Ridgeway noticed how Hallie did not have great starts out of blocks in the 100m and 200m and noticed how Hallie, “just blew away all the other girls on the turns.” He realized he had a bonafide 400m freshman runner on his hands.

“He kind of ‘decided’ that I would run the 400m. I trust his judgment now,” she said.

Her first timed run in the 400m, was this year in February at practice and she ran a 1:03 minute time.

“I started running it (400m) at meets and my times kept improving,” she said.

“At the SAC Tournament this year, I ran against Karissa Bertling. Running against her made me nervous but I finished just behind her. That was my first 58-second 400m race.”

It should be noted that Karissa Bertling is a senior who, last year, finished fifth in the state finals in 400m at 56.85 seconds.

Regardless of what happens Friday, Land O’ Lakes has an elite athlete that should push for a state title the next three years.

Land O' Lakes Patch will have for Hallie from the 3A state finals.