Independent file photo Marshall’s Sydney Blomme competes in a hurdles event during the Big South Championships on May 13 in Fairmont. Blomme is making her first trip to the state meet.

MARSHALL – Sydney Blomme set one goal for herself when the track season started. That goal was to make state in one event. Through hard work and determination, the Marshall Tiger doubled down and qualified for two events on Friday during the Section 2AA track meet.

Blomme got the day started with a first place finish in the 100 meter hurdles to qualify for state. Blomme set a personal best with a time of 15.57. The junior then set a personal best in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46.53 to place second.

“It means so much,” Blomme said. “I’m so excited. I feel so blessed that I’m not only able to do one event, but I’m able to compete in two events. It means a lot. It means that all my hard work has paid off.”

After countless hours of training and pushing through pain at practice, Blomme said it feels good to have accomplished her goal of qualifying for state.

“That was my goal when I came in,” Blomme said. “I told myself that all the workouts that I done and all my hard work was for me to make it to state. It kept me motivated throughout the entire season.”

Blomme’s trip to state on Friday and Saturday will mark the first time she’s competed at the state meet.

“I haven’t qualified for state as an individual,” she said. “I was given the chance to be an alternate for relay teams. I was able to go up and watch them, but this will be my first time competing at state.”

The preliminaries in the 100 meter hurdles will be held Friday at approximately 9:30 a.m. The preliminaries for the 300 meter hurdles will be held on the same day at approximately 11:31 a.m. If Blomme were able to qualify for the finals in the 100 meter hurdles it would be held on Saturday at approximately 9:54 a.m. The 300 meter hurdles final would be held at approximately 11:34 a.m., on Saturday.

“I love them both,” Blomme said. “I like the 100 meter hurdles because I can get into a rhythm and just go. I like how you can stride out in the 300 meter hurdles. It’s not that quick of a race. You have to focus on getting to the next hurdle.”

The focus in practice this week for Blomme is the fundamentals. She said the biggest test will be mentally preparing herself for the state meet.

“I’m just going to work on my form and getting over the hurdles fast,” she said. “I think the biggest thing will be getting prepared mentally.”

Last week Blomme qualified for the state meet by setting personal bests in both events. Blomme said that placing at state would be a dream come true, but her goal is setting a new personal bests in both events for the second straight week.

“That would be amazing,” she said. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m just focused on racing and setting a personal best. If I happen to place that would be amazing.”