Published: May 10, 2008 12:04 am            

2008 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships: The Secret’s Out

Fisher came out of nowhere as a freshman to become the fastest woman in the Southland, now everybody knows her name

Jessica Fisher was a raw, untapped talent when she joined the Sam Houston State women’s track and field team as a freshman in 2007.

While attending high school at Houston Worthing, she wasn’t the one everybody was looking to beat. But with a little help from the Bearkat coaches, Fisher is quickly running out of wall space for all the hardware she has picked up over the last year.

The reigning fastest woman in the Southland Conference will take the first step toward the defense of her league 100- and 200-meter dash titles when the running event preliminaries begin today at the York Track and Field Complex at Bowers Stadium beginning at 5 p.m.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting the kind of success I had because coming in as a freshman, I figured there were going to be a lot of upperclassmen that were going to beat me,” Fisher said. “I knew I had a lot of work to do coming from high school because I was an OK sprinter, but not an elite sprinter.

“But it all worked out. I have excellent coaches here and I’m still kind of shocked.”

It didn’t take long for the fantastic freshman to make a name for herself in 2007. At last year’s SLC Indoor Championships, Fisher turned in a pair of gold-medal performances in the 60- and 200-meter dashes.

But deep down, Fisher was wondering if it was a fluke. Was she really one of the top sprinters in the conference, or was it simply beginner’s luck?

Those questions were answered when Fisher blew away the competition on her way to winning the 100 and 200 at the SLC Outdoor Championships in Nacogdoches last spring. She was also a member of the 4-by-100- and 4-by-400-meter relay teams, which both finished second.

It was time for the rest of the Southland to take notice because the secret was out — Fisher was the real deal.

“I didn’t realize I was for real until this time last year in outdoor conference,” Fisher said. “In indoor, I was like maybe I won by chance. But when outdoor came, there was more people and more events. I had a lot on my plate to win gold medals, which a lot of people don’t do.

“For me to accomplish that in outdoor, it made me realize that hard work does pay off.”

Coming out of high school, Fisher had all the tools to shine, she just needed the necessary coaching tips to vault her over the top. The Sam Houston staff worked with her running style and her start out of the blocks, which is probably the most important aspect of being a successful sprinter.

“Jessica is the kind of athlete that makes me look like a really good coach,” Bearkat sprinters coach Dave Self said. “She has a lot of natural ability, and she is dedicated to the sport. She came in and wants to be better. She listens to what we try to teach her everyday.

“She wants to be good and applies it. You add that with her natural ability and success speaks for itself.”

Fisher is now a sensational sophomore. She once again won the 60 and 200 crowns at the SLC Indoor Championships and was also a member of the winning 4-by-400 relay team.

Not only is she one of the favorites in the 100 and 200 at the 2008 SLC Outdoor Championships, but she has the SHSU women’s team as the front-runner to win the team title as well.

And every now and then, when she’s coasting down the track, Fisher feels like she is close to flying.

“Sometimes I do feel like I’m about to fly,” the sprinter said. “Sometimes, because I haven’t reached my optimal speed or my peak, this time of year I’m beginning to peak and I surprise myself sometimes. I’m like, ‘Whoa, that was too fast coach Self.’”

She probably is.

        

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