She steps onto the track, getting into position, and prepares to run faster than she ever has before. Finally, the gun goes off and she takes off, everything slowing down around her as she crosses the line and takes her place as the official high point girl.
Sophomore track star Dinah Tippins has broken many school records in the two years she has been part of the team. Just recently, she was named the high point girl at the district track meet. She competes in many events including long jump, 4×100, 4×200, 200-meter dash, and even sometimes the 100-meter dash. She said she loves running and loves how it allows her to meet new people and spread her horizon.
“I have broken five records which are the 4×100, 4×200, long jump, 200-meter, and the 100-meter,” Tippins said.
Although she has broken many records, it has taken a lot of practice to get where she is today which is why Tippins practices every day after school and even during school breaks. With that comes having to find motivation and inspirations wherever possible, which for Tippins is her mom.
“My biggest inspiration is my momma,” Tippins said. “She scares me.”
Leading up to district was fun for Tippins and an interesting experience but now that Regionals is approaching, Tippins will begin to really focus and prepare for the challenges she will soon face.
“To prepare for Regionals, I am going to actually take track seriously,” Tippins said.
For Regionals, Tippins said she is super excited to be able to try and advance to state. Along with that, comes some worries about upcoming competitions.
“I worry that my long jump step won’t be right,” Tippins said.
Although even with worries about regionals, there is a lot to keep to Tippins going. She focuses a lot on preparations before she runs and that means getting in the right mindset first. To mentally and physically prepare, she puts in her ear buds and plays music to get her mind ready and tries to stay positive as she warms up. As the race starts, she only has one thing in mind.
“I repeat that I will win, and that I have to make my team proud,” Tippins said.
With all the hard work Tippins puts in, she truly does make her team proud, and as much as she loves making new memories with her team, her teammates and even coaches love making memories even more.
“My favorite memory of Dinah would involve observing all the success she has had since she was an 8th grader,” girls track coach Becca Peveto said. “Seeing her experience numerous personal bests and getting to witness (first hand) her breaking multiple school records is something that many do not get to see their athletes do. I am truly blessed to have a front row seat, watching all of her greatness unfold. And she is not done yet!”
Even though she only started running to clear her mind, Tippins has exceeded to such a prominent level and with that it has taught her a lot about who she is and how to push herself past her limits. A big part of finding that in herself is because of the people who surround her with support.
“Coaching Dinah has been nothing short of wondrous,” Peveto said. “To be able to coach such a stellar track athlete is something I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to do. She constantly wants to get better, is totally committed to making this program better, a great teammate, and overall—just fun to be around. We are definitely lucky to have her representing LCM.”
