Kiarra Lakins runs hurdles for the Crothersville girls track and field team, while Carson Carpenter runs sprints for the Seymour boys track team.

Lakins likes the shorter hurdles race, the 110 highs, while Carpenter likes the longer sprint, the 200-meter dash.

She said it has taken a lot of hard work for her to get her steps down.

“The 110 meter hurdles are my favorite,” Lakins said. “I’ve been able to get my steps down. I alternate steps sometimes. I can alternate pretty well the first time, but then I’m leading with my left leg.”

Lakins ran a 21.47 during Thursday’s meet against Scottsburg. She said her PR came last year.

“If I was four-stepping all 10 hurdles, I could lower my time,” she said. “The start is really important. I try to go over them as fast as possible. I enjoy it because it’s easy.”

Lakins admitted she dislikes the 300 hurdles, but she runs them to score points for the team.

“You definitely have to get your steps down,” she said.

Lakins has been running track since sixth grade, and she also ran cross-country all four years of high school.

“I was the No. 3 runner for the team,” she said of cross-country. “I liked hanging out with my friends.”

This is Carpenter’s first year running track for the Owls after playing baseball in the past.

“It is something I always wanted to do,” he said. “I played baseball for three years. I wanted to have fun my senior year. It was all about having fun. I just wanted to try something new, so I decided to try track.”

Of his favorite event, the 200, he said, “I like coming around the corner (heading into the straightaway) and having that kick at the very end. It’s just thrilling. It’s such an adrenaline rush. I love it.”

Carpenter said he prefers Lane 1 and said his fastest 200 has been 26.48, and he hopes to get under 26 seconds.

“I like being inside,” he said. “I like running from behind. You can see everybody else (in lanes two through eight). You can see everybody else coming in.”

He said he has learned how to lean running the curve

“I’m working on it,” he said. “I try to get a quick start. I don’t go full out, but once I hit about halfway on the curve (by the high jump), that’s when I run harder, and once I hit those (relay exchange) arrows, I’m going.”

Carpenter said getting out of the blocks is a big key to a successful 100.

“I’ve been working on starts a lot. That has been my main goal,” he said. “My first few races didn’t go as planned. I was a little slow out of the blocks.”

Both athletes said practice is very important.

“If you don’t practice, you won’t get better,” Carpenter said. “It has been my goal to improve, and I’ve improved every race. I’m glad I’ve done that just working hard. Just the little things, like bending in the corner, having good form, everything. I need to keep working hard and pushing myself every day. I look forward to the good weather and overall enjoying atmosphere of what time I have left here at school and in track.”

Lakins said she runs the 110s two or three times in practices, but she only runs the 300s one time.

“My form has improved,” she said. “I need faster steps and longer steps so that I can three-step because you want to three-step. With odd numbers, you don’t have to alternate, even numbers, yes.“

Carpenter said he enjoyed baseball but needed a change this spring.

“I played baseball ever since I was little, and I loved it. Game day atmosphere, everything was so exciting about it, but this year, I was really looking forward to trying something new,” he said. “The track here (Bulleit Stadium) is awesome. The coaches have been great. I’ve met some incredible teammates. I’m super glad I came out. This is an experience I won’t forget.”