Senior duo wants to go out as state champions

Now that Sallisaw High School track seniors Abby Kate Qualls and Aaron File made it to one last Class 4A State Meet, which will take place today and Saturday in Catoosa, the thoughts of winning state in their respective events are dancing around in their heads.

“I would feel like I’m on top of the world,” said Qualls, who will run as an individual in the 100-meter dash and as part of three relays — the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600-meter. “It would be a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was very little. Being a state champion and having that honor would just be amazing. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m hoping for some good results. I think our 4×4 (1,600-meter relay) is really good. I think it has a really good chance. I’m going to give it my best in the 100-meter (dash). I have the third-best time in the state right now, and I’m hoping I can go out and win it all.”

“I would be the happiest kid alive,” said File, who will be one of the four members of the 400-meter relay team. “I really couldn’t tell you how I’d feel. That’s definitely a big goal. All I know is I would be exciting.”

Qualls knew three times that she as an individual or a relay team would be a state qualifier one last time as she was third in the 100-meter dash along with the 800-meter and 1,600-meter relays at Monday’s regional meet in Shawnee, but the thrill was still there to qualify in this her final season to have a chance to do so.

“It was definitely super exciting to qualify in like one of the fastest regionals at OBU that we were at,” she said. “It was like, ‘My gosh — I get to do this (run at state) one more time!’ I’m so excited. I just want to go out and do my very best. I love track. It’s my favorite (sport).”

File, along with his 400-meter relay team members of Cooper Cox, Kenyan Hill and Cooper Jackson, had to wait a while before finding out they would be an at-large entry at state.

“I found out (Monday),” he said. “Our time was faster than one of the other third-place finishers at different regionals. We kind knew then. It was like, ‘Heck ya — I get to do this one last time!’ I get to have one last goaround (the track oval). It’s exciting. I was nervous the whole time waiting to find out, but the nerves will renew (at this weekend’s state meet).”

On the other hand, Qualls said she thinks the nerves are gone now that she has her spots solidified at this weekend’s state meet.

“I feel like the pressure goes off at state,” she said. “It’s like you’re there, and you’re competing with all the great people who are around you. I just want to go out there and do my very best. I want to use my abilities to the best that God has given me.”

Qualls entered the postseason by doing something she had not done before, run faster than her two Poteau Lady Pirates rivals Brooklyn Garner and Emery Lomon — which she did at the Warner Twilight Meet on April 16 when she was second in the 100-meter dash (12.43 seconds), while Lomon was third (12.61) and Garner fifth (12.68).

“They’re both really talented girls,” Qualls said. “I’m really happy for them, and how much success their team has had. It was definitely exciting (to beat them). It was nice to beat some good competition. I think we all have a lot of respect for each other. I’m proud of them just as much as I’m proud of myself.”

If for some reason, state championships do not happen for either senior, they both have some secondary goals they would like to achieve in this, their final high school track meet of their careers.

“I think the two biggest that come to mind is making it on the podium (medal stand) because the top six medal, so I’m hoping that we can at least make the top six and bring an OSSAA (Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association) medal home,” Qualls said. “The other one is to PR (personal record/best) — just to make our times better than what they have been all year. We just want to go out there and make our personal bests at state. That would be amazing.”

“I just want us to try as hard as we can,” File said. “That’s all that matters — to try our hardest.”