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EHS Star Watch 2011-12: Hannah Calvert

This rising junior is coming off of an 8th place finish at State in the 800 Meters as a sophomore this year and looks ahead to what it will take for her to build on her success for 2011-12.

Hannah Calvert comes from a strong running family. Her mom ran track; so did several relatives on her dad's side, including his sister who excelled in the 800 meter race.

So even if she didn't run track her freshman year, her journey through the sport and her 8th place finish in the State 3A 800 meters this past May has been that much sweeter.

With the 2010-11 school year coming to a close for the Enumclaw High School underclassmen on Friday, Calvert, who also plays on the girls basketball team, took a few moments to talk about this past season and placing at state, her goals moving forward for 2012 on the track, and how she plans to incorporate her other sports to maximize her success in her upcoming junior year.

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"The journey from day one to placing at State was pretty remarkable," she said. "It was my first year running in high school, and my first year running the 800 meters, so I didn't expect to make it to State -- let alone place."

Calvert said she came to embrace the 800 meter race after running it the first time this spring. "After running my first 800m race, I realized this was something I love, and could go far if I worked my hardest."

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Enumclaw Head Girls Track Coach Jenelle Stussy lauded her ace 800 meter specialist and the approach Calvert brought to the track on a daily basis.

"Hannah worked very diligently to improve each week and gave her all to rise up and excel," Stussy said. "She also came to practice with purpose and encouraged others and demonstrated initiative that made an impact on her teammates on and off the track."

Another critical element to Calvert's successes is her ability to manage her time while playing both basketball, which looks to return to the playoffs for the second year in a row, and running track -- all the while still finding time to take care of business in the classroom as well.

"School is very important to me because I know that sports can only carry you so far in life if you don’t have an education to go along with it," Calvert said. "To keep up with my grades and my sports, I establish a routine that I maintain every night. Doing this keeps me focused on the important things in my life that will help me become successful."

Calvert knows what she needs to do to prepare for the 2012 track season and continues to build on the confidence she has gained. She has very high expectations for herself as she continues to work with Stussy.

"I want to get back to the State Finals and win (in 2012)," Calvert said. "To accomplish that, I know I have to put more time in before the season so I’m choosing to do cross country in the fall and to make sure I’m going on runs and doing intervals during basketball in the winter."

Stussy said she believes in Calvert's ability to succeed next year. "With her dedication and work ethic, she should be a name to look for in the track arena next year."

One more big goal on Calvert's bucket list is breaking the school record in the 800 meters in 2011-12.

"I want to accomplish getting the school record," she said. "I was less than half a second off this year which was a huge bummer but I know that that’s a goal I can tackle next year."

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