Breanne Borman is a whirlwind.
In more ways than one.
Powered by an internal clock, the Festus junior motors from the long jump runway to the 100-meter hurdles, from the hurdles to the high jump apron, from the apron back to the 100 hurdles, to the long jump ... high jump ... 300 hurdles ... and on and on.
"I don’t know how she does it," Affton coach Tim Hill said of Borman’s knack for bouncing from one event to the next without missing a beat.
The wonder of Borman, of course, is not just a knack for juggling the demands of an overloaded schedule. Almost any time management ace with a legal pad, a filing system, a wristwatch and a pair of spikes could report for the start of the a couple races and jumps on time. Let’s see Getting Things Done whiz David Allen blast through the 100 hurdles in 15.17 seconds.
"She’s the real deal," Festus coach John Crites frequently says of the 5-foot-9 Borman.
There was no argument about that at the Class 3 Section 1 track meet Saturday at Lutheran South. Borman won the long jump title and qualified for the Friday-Saturday state championship meet in a maxed-out four events. The 17-year-old will compete at the Class 3 championships in the long jump, high jump, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Thanks to a strong showing at the sectional meet, Festus will send 10 individual qualifiers and two relay teams to the two-day state meet that starts Friday.
Borman won’t be the only Tiger penciled in for multiple events at the championships at Jefferson City.
Even with a bravura performance by Borman and wins by Darnell in the 3,200 and the 3,200 relay, Festus couldn't quite catch Affton at last week's sectional. With team scores being kept for the first time at the sectional, Affton edged Festus 86-84 for the team title. Hillsoboro was sixth with 35, Windsor eighth with 33 and De Soto tied for 10th with 24.
Borman waved off the team race.
"Next week is what matters. This is just where we want to get everybody through (to the state meet)," she said.
Festus has as good a record as any team this side of powerhouse McCluer South-Berkeley when it comes to getting the right runners, jumpers and throwers through to the state meet. Festus has been out of the top five at the state meet only once -- last year's 11th-place finish -- in the last five years.
While Borman's big day Saturday won't be a surprise to anyone who caught her MVP effort at the recent Jefferson County Conference meet (Borman and Sarah Bringer of Hillsboro shared the honor with four individual titles apiece), the Festus junior was a bit surprised.
"High jump and 100 hurdles today were big shockers. They were both PRs (personal records)," she said.
Borman's 5-foot-6 leap in the high jump broke the school record set by her oldest sister, Brittany.
"My high jump surprised me," she said.
Even with a 5-6 jump, Borman didn't win the high jump. Betsy Borgsmiller of Sikeston won at 5-8, a jump Borman wished she had seen. Schedules being schedules, though, she couldn't hang around the high jump.
"I stopped after 5-6 because I had to go long jump," she said.
While keeping a go-go schedule delivers big points, there is a price to be paid. Borman admits four events -- most meets also involve preliminary races -- can leave her a bit leg weary.
Saturday's sectional was a pleasant change because the schedule was open heading into the meet and there were no prelims to run.
"Today was a good day. My legs were fresh, and I felt good," she said.
Fresh legs would be part of the bargain every week if Borman would cut back on her chedule. Three events would be easier than four. Two would be easier still.
Are you kidding?
"It'd probably be easier on my legs, but I'm trying to help the team," she said.
Besides, Borman has mastered the split-second timing of racing from one event to the next.
"Every meet, it's like this," she said.
And at every meet, she is a force, a point producer, a whirlwind.
Danielle Borman, Breanne's older sister, qualified in the long jump and 100 hurdles. Sadie Darnell will chase state medals in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. Nicole Beffa and Jamie Kempfer will be in the 800. Darnell also is penciled in as the anchor on the 3,200 relay, and Beffa and Kempfer are part of both the 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
