For the past two years, John Curtis' Aaliyah Lane has opened her indoor season in Alabama at The Galleria Games. Last year, Lane set the meet record in the 11-12 girls 800m with a time of 2:26.
What did she do this season for an encore? She broke her own record of course, blazing to a 2:22.15.
The 2022 AAU national champion is picking up this winter where she left off last summer.
While the meet and breaking meet records may be familiar to Lane, there is one thing new this season. She will be competing at the high school level-beginning with the LSU Indoor Classic on Saturday, January 7th.
"It's exciting," Lane said about competing in LHSAA competition. "But, I'm also nervous."
While there may be nervousness heading into her first high school meet, it has not effected her self confidence.
"I think I can win it all," Lane said.
While Lane was happy with her opener, the seventh grader is by no means satisfied and knows exactly what she needs to do to improve.
"The race felt good," Lane said "I know I can do better on my third lap. I felt myself slow down during that part. I just tried to push harder on the last 200m."
Lane says that working with John Curtis head coach Preston Curtis has helped to prepare her for the upcoming season.
"He has really helped my pacing," Lane said. "We have worked on making sure I'm coming through at certain times. Also, the strength work during PE has helped to get my body right."
Another thing that has helped Lane is her John Curitis teammates, like London Parker, Justin Horne, and King Taylor, who all have state meet experience under their belt.
"It's good to have teammates who push me at practice," Lane said.
Curis has been impressed with the hunger and drive he has seen from his young Patriot.
"We see it in practice every day from her," Curtis said. "It's rare to find an athlete as hungry and driven as she is. It usually happens when they are a junior or senior. She brings it to the point where I have tell her 'we are going 80% today.'"
Lane's time at The Galleria Games is just five seconds off the fastest 800m run in Louisiana last year. That effort belongs to Dutchtown senior Rachel Fereday , who ran a 2:17.90 on her way to a LHSAA Division I 800m state championship.
While the No. 2 through No. 4 girls' 800m runners all graduated, the No. 5 runner from last year returns. And she is Lane's teammate Parker, who had a personal best of 2:22.43 in 2022 indoor season.
One thing is certain, the girls 800m at the LSU Indoor Classic will be a race that high school track and field fans in Louisiana will want to watch. And they will be able to watch it either inside the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse or LIVE on MileSplit.