[Stardust]

Last season offered one of the more closely contested Class 3A girls’ state track and field meets in years with 12 points separating winner Louisville Sacred Heart and fourth-place Campbell County.

Brianna Schraer missed it all with a broken foot. She also was diagnosed with diabetes.

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“I had a bad season last year,” said Campbell County’s Schraer “I even missed the prom.”

On Saturday, Schraer hopes to make a difference for the Camels at the KHSAA track and field championships at the University of Louisville’s Owsley Frazier Park. The big-school meet starts at 1 p.m. with field events. Track finals begin at 3 p.m. Thursday’s Class A meet kicks off three days of championships. The Class 2A meet is Friday.

“Our goal every year is to win state,” Camels coach Brandon Napier said. “We gear everything toward that.”

Campbell won the Class 3A crown in 2010. Schraer helped the Camels get there by taking third in the discus and sixth in the shot put at the regional meet. But she finished a disappointing 21st in the discus at state.

She was primed for a breakout performance last year but health issues derailed her season. She broke the fourth metatarsal bone in her left foot midway through the schedule. Shortly after her recovery in November, she received a diagnosis indicating she had Type-1 diabetes.

“I was losing weight and hair and muscle. I was down,” Schraer said. “It was hard to swallow and a lot to take in.” There was a lot of crying. I handled the foot better than the diabetes.”

There were tears of joy while The Camels won the regional title last week at Scott. Even though she must receive three insulin shots daily, Schraer won the discus with a throw of 94 feet, 2 inches, and finished second in the shot put with a length of 30 feet. She qualified for state in both events for the first time.

“I was so happy I was crying,” she said.

It had been a long road back from oblivion and Schraer couldn’t hide her emotions, her coaches said.

“She’s had a lot of bumps in the road,” said Campbell assistant Michael Stevens. “At some point, she could have said no. But she keeps working because it’s something she loves. We’re really happy she’s going back to state.”

Another highlight Saturday for the Camels could come in the 800-meter relay, a race they are attempting to win for the fourth time in five years. Senior Christina Heilman ran a leg on all three previous state winners and is looking for another crown after the Camels placed fifth in the event last season.

“We really want to win it this year,” said Heilman. who is joined on the relay team by junior Molly Kitchen, who ran a leg for the 2010 state-winning unit.

In Class 2A, Highlands, led by distance runner Lauren Ossege, is seeking a fifth state title in a row. Newport Central Catholic, led by field participant Liz Gruenschlaeger, is the three-time defending Class A champion but St. Henry is attempting to end the Thoroughbreds’ reign. wrest the crown for the first time since 2008.http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...305140096/

[Stardust]

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