It took Jacquelyn Coward less than two seconds to harness control of her speed. It only took a few more to then steer it right to the finish line en route to a national record.

Coward, the senior from Knoxville West HS (Tn.), overcame an early deficit to catch another recordholder en route to shearing one-hundredth of a second off her own national standard in providing the most electric moment of a power-packed 30th edition of the Simplot Games.

While Coward's 60-meter high hurdles win in a stunning 8.16 seconds was the headlining achievement of the three-day, 20-state, 2,300-athlete affair, the popular meet also produced three national class records, four meet records, and a total of six nation-leading marks for the 2007-2008 season.

Coward, who inadvertantly showed up seven hours before her race to start warming up, rallied by the fourth hurdle to overtake early leader Vashti Thomas of California (Mt. Pleasant HS) and storm across the finish as the jumbo screen flashed the magical digits and announcer Jim Spier bellowed out the first reports: "Eight-fifteeeeen! A new national record!"

Coward instantly clapped her hands together four times and then pumped her fists into the air as she decelerated, then doubled over as she cupped her hands over her mouth and was overcome with emotion.

"I was just thanking God, not thinking when I crossed that it was fast enough (for the record)," said Coward, who signed with the University of Central Florida earlier this month. "My start wasn't perfect and (Vashti) started really well. I didn't really get control of my speed until the third hurdle, and then my technique kicked in. I didn't catch her until I think the third hurdle (of five)."

After a few seconds of review, the official time was changed to 8.16, sending a buzz through Holt Arena and ranking just ahead of the all-time prep mark of 8.17 she achieved in winning the KTC meet last winter. It was a far cry from the ultra-quiet welcome she discovered at 6:30 in the morning, when Coward arrived thinking there was a semifinals round to be run rather than the straight final she'd earned a spot in. In the end, time was on her side.

Vashti Thomas, who finished second to Coward in the historic hurdles race, was the female performer of the meet in terms of versatility, setting a California record and US #3 all-time mark in the high hurdles (8.27), bounding to a yearly nation-leading mark of 42-08.75 in the triple jump and earlier soaring US#2 19-10.75 to easily best the field in the long jump.

Vashti Thomas#3 AT Prep with 8.27 in second - Thomas added #4 AT US TJ
42-08.75 and LJ win (US yearly leader) 19-10.75 - what a weekend

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