Meadowcreek’s Hall ready to enjoy her senior season
NORCROSS — With her college decision made and a slew of titles already to her name, Brittany Hall is taking some time to enjoy her senior year.
Hall, Meadowcreek’s highly decorated 800-meter specialist, has already defeated the best Gwinnett County and Georgia has to offer. As a junior she repeated her state title performance despite being injured and set a new Georgia record in the process. Hall, who earned a scholarship with her longtime favorite school in LSU, is the two-time county champion in the 800 and the 400.
“She’s been a kid more this year than probably she ever has,” Meadowcreek coach Matt Henson said. “She has accomplished what she wanted to accomplish. She wanted to make sure that she was a full qualifier — which was not a problem, she’s an honors student. She wanted to make sure that she had her college decision made before Christmas.
“And she has been a kid probably for the first time since she was 12 or 13.”
Hall, who has wanted to be a member of the prestigious LSU track and field program since she was in eighth grade, laughed when talking about this year versus the last five or six.
“I’m more laid back this year since I made my (college) decision,” she said. “But I’ve got to stay focused still.”
She might be taking it a little easier, scaling back her schedule of meets and making time to attend school activities like basketball games and dances. But Hall is still a driven athlete.
Monday was a perfect example. While students got the day off school and many adults enjoyed the Presidents’ Day holiday as well, Hall was at Meadowcreek putting in a mileage workout.
“She’s still been practicing, she’s still been working hard, but she’s been able to let her hair down, so to speak, a little bit,” Henson said.
“And relax. She can take a breath.
“She really doesn’t have to worry about performance anyway, because she’s going to perform. But she’s had the chance to be a senior and that’s been really good for her.”
She’s run an abbreviated schedule this winter, but is gearing up for a high school season that starts this weekend.
Hall has also already posted the nation’s second-best time in the 800 this year. She’s second only to Pennsylvania’s Chanelle Price, who’s posted a 2:08.76.
Hall won region last year in 2:08.99 and set a new Georgia record of 2:08.58 at state despite sustaining an injury to her Achilles’ heel two days before the race.
Henson had to carry her off the track following the win.
“The day of (state) is when it had gotten worse,” Hall said. “But I really wanted the record. So I just decided I had to not focus on it.
“I was in extreme pain (after it was over). At the first lap, I felt it and it was bothering me, but I knew my second lap had to be close to the first lap or faster so after that I just tuned it out.”
And still ended up setting the state record.
Which bodes well for this year as Hall aims to lower her own mark.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Hall said with a broad grin.
She’s got lofty goals. Hall, who has not yet finished in under 2:08, wants to run 2:06 or 2:05.
This year, especially at the state level, the clock is really Hall’s biggest competition.
“She’s a phenomenal kid,” Henson said. “I don’t know if anyone could beat her head-to-head (because she’s so driven).”
Not that you’d be able to tell in casual conversation with Hall.
There’s no ego, just a wide, friendly smile and easy laugh.
She hesitates to admit she has to get to the national level to really be pushed by another runner in the 800.
“When she gets ready to run her event, everybody’s like ‘Go watch, it’s Brittany, it’s Brittany,’” Henson said. “But other than that, you would never know who she is. She’s very humble. Quiet. Laid back.
“Now what she will do, once she gets in the blocks or she gets on the track for her event, she’s going to do everything she can to beat you. But when it’s over, she’s going to be the first person to put her arm around you and congratulate you.”