Wilson Memorial's Miller keeps streak alive with victory

ELKTON - Gary Kessler had no worries about how Paige Miller would finish. The Wilson Memorial head girls track coach said Miller would finish the 300-meter hurdles strong. She always did. 

It was the start that had the coach a little concerned.

"We knew she has a cross country background," Kessler said. "She's been tough all season on this final 100, 120. But she's been getting beat to the first hurdle. We said, 'Paige, get rid of the butterflies for five seconds and get to the first hurdle.'" 

When Kessler saw the junior in first place at the first hurdle Saturday, he knew it was her race to win. And he was right. Miller took home gold in the 300 hurdles at the Virginia High School League's Class 2 state track and field meet with a time of 46.53.

It was the second-straight year that Miller won the event at the state level. 

"I was really just trying to get that same goal this year," said Miller, who was seeded second in the event behind Katelyn Wiley of James River, who finished the day in second. 

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Miller hasn't been happy with her times for much of the season, but she got a good race when it mattered most Saturday. 

"To finally get that is really nice," she said. "I didn't know if I'd be able to get her, but it was really close at the end." 

Miller also earned all-state honors with a sixth-place finish in the high jump and a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. 

Miller also kept an impressive streak alive for the Wilson Memorial track team. Ever since Kessler convinced the booster club to put up record boards in the school gym — he said it was at least 10 years ago, but maybe closer to 15 — there's always been at least one team record broken. 

More track:Lee High's Oliver Wilson-Cook brings home another state championship

More track (plus photos):Successful day for Augusta County and Staunton schools in state track

Going into the 300-meter hurdles, Kessler looked at his assistant coach, Ben Brown, and said it might be the first season a school record hadn't fallen. Then Miller went out and broke the mark in the hurdles, bettering the time she set last year at states. 

"So, to me, she kept a streak alive," Kessler said. 

Miller said a lot of hurdlers use up their energy at the beginning of the race. She likes to conserve some energy, although she focused on her coach's advice of getting a better start than she has in the past. The strategy worked on Saturday. 

"I'm proud of her," Kessler said. 

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