It was only fitting that on Father's Day weekend, Gene Siner would be the one to tell his daughter, Riley, that she ran the fastest 800 meter time in Louisiana history. Lafayette High's Riley Siner, who finished her sophomore year last month, is now No. 1 on Louisiana's All-Time list in the event after her 2:10.76 at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.
Siner went the Nike Outdoor Nationals with the hopes to improve on her personal record (2:11.70) from the LHSAA Class 5A State Outdoor Championships. However, her father had a more ambitious goal.
"A 2:10," Siner said by phone from Eugene on Saturday. "That's what he said he wanted for Father's Day."
Most athletes look up at the jumbotron to see their time after a big national-caliber race. Siner did not. She followed meet officials off of the track. It was not until she saw her father that she knew her time or what she accomplished.
"You did it!," he said.
Siner did do it. She knocked Northshore's Grace Keene, who came from behind to beat Siner at the state outdoor meet by .01, from the top of Louisiana's all-time rankings in 800 meters.
"Surreal" was the adjective Siner used to describe her firs experience at historic Hayward Field.
"They just hosted the NCAAs and there were world records set," Siner said. "I was just happy to go and compete at that track."
As she stepped to the line, Siner used self-talk to remind herself of the goal...a personal record.
She wanted to come through the first 400 meters at 1:04. She came through at 1:03.44, but she didn't know it because there was no one calling out splits and no clock. The only clock on the track was at the 200 meter mark.
During the second lap, Siner made a move and continued to run hard. She finished second in her heat and No. 24 overall.
Later today, Siner will compete in the 400 meters.
One thing that she will not have to do is go shopping for Father's Day.
In other Louisiana news from Eugene, West Monroe's rising senior Jaxon Talley finished second in the U20 javelin. Talley finished second to Penn State freshman Nolan Carey. Talley's throw was 212-3. Carey's winning throw was 217-9. Both throws came in the second round of the competition.
Yet another All-American who had a podium finish in Eugene on Friday is Parkview Baptist rising senior Lucy Cramer, who finished third at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 2000 meter steeple chase. Cramer over came a hiccup on the final water barrier to run a 6:53.41. The time was only three seconds off her personal record 6:50 from the Texas Relays.
California's Kamilah Salim won the event with a time of 6:43.13.
On Sunday, Cramer will finish her junior season with one last race--the mile. She will be looking to improve upon her personal record of 4:56.98 which she ran last month at the RunningLane Track Championships in Huntsville, Alabama. That time in No. 2 all-time for Louisiana junior girls behind Gabrielle Jennings, who ran a 4:52.50 in 2015.
