By John Raffel
Madison Doolittle has been doing plenty for the Alma girls track team this spring.
The sophomore finished the regional competition with a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. She medaled in the 400- and 800-meter relays and had to scratch in the 300-meter hurdles because of a pulled hamstring.
There have been plenty of highlights for Doolittle this season. She was 300-meter hurdles champion at the St. Louis Invitational for the second straight season. She came close to qualifying for the state finals in the 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter relay, which were key highlights for her.
She believes that the 300-meter hurdles is her best event and was ranked eighth overall in the event going into the regionals. “I was going to push myself and try to get myself up there a little further, like I did in the 100 hurdles.
“Last year, I was running in the 55s [in the hurdles],” she said. “This year, I’m in the 51s.”
Doolittle indicated that her start and her speed are her strengths in the hurdles. She wants to work on her form and steps between the hurdles.
On the relay teams, Doolittle has been the first leg. “At times it was [a lot of pressure],” she said. “At regionals, I was really nervous. I like doing it because I like using the blocks and getting a good start.”
Doolittle also plays basketball and volleyball at Alma, but she considers track to be her best sport. “It’s more of an individual sport,” she said, adding that it also conditioned her well for her other sports and made her mentally and physically tougher.
Doolittle has two seasons left and is looking forward to a shot at the state finals and an all-state medal. The 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter relay are her best bets for state qualification, she added.
Coach Jamie Puffpaff has been happy with her sophomore athlete’s season. “She’s doing a fantastic job. She medaled in the regionals. She really has come on strong in both the 100 and 300 hurdles for us.”
Compared to last year, “she’s learning it now and working on technique and fine-tuning some of that stuff,” Puffpaff said.
Puffpaff has also admires Doolittle’s versatility. “She’s really looking strong. We can put her anywhere and she’s going to step up.”