Prep of the Week: Olivia Walsh

(ABC 6 News) — The weather rarely budged and the season has only now just begun for Austin girls’ track and field.

But with the way Olivia Walsh performed, it may as well have been mid-season.

“Well, I just try to keep everyone behind me obviously,” Walsh told ABC 6 Sports Reporter José Solís. “And if I can see them coming in through my peripheral, I know that I need to kick it into gear.”

Walsh helped Austin claim victory in the 400m and 800m relays last week in Faribault, an impressive show despite very little practice prior.

“To come in where she left off at the end of track season, I’m really excited for her and I’d really like to see her make state la — this year,” head coach Nancy Jones affirmed. “And I think she has the potential to set some of our school records this season.”

She’s already broken one record: her personal best for the triple jump with a 35’2.5 inch attempt. She ended up coming up an inch short of her personal best for the high jump with a 5’2 score.

“That was super huge,” Walsh said. “I finally broke through last season after being stuck on my eighth grade PR, so I was really happy to start the season off so well. And hopefully, it’s only up from there.”

Such prowess is no surprise to those close to Walsh. Besides excelling at track, she is a reliable basketball player, as well as a swimmer and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

“Well, I’ve been doing it for a while, I’ve been a multi-sport athlete since I was very little,” Walsh reflected. “So I’ve gotten used to the time management and how to balance everything.”

No ceiling — or rather pole — is too high for Walsh to jump. The opposition will do well to keep that in mind because just like the new season, Walsh is only getting started.

“I have my sights set on sections obviously cause that’s the meet that counts for State,” Walsh concluded. “And last year, I was a little disappointed with how it ended up but hopefully this year goes better.”