Making It Look Easy

Sarah Fricke | Age 16 | Millard West

Every now and then we hear the term “natural” when someone is referring to an outstanding athlete who makes their sport look easy. This was the case last year when (then) freshman Sarah Fricke burst on the scene as Millard West’s top sprinter. Listed as one of Nebraska’s prep girls track leaders in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, Fricke is one of the fastest female sprinters in the state.

When she was younger, Fricke could be found on a softball field, not a track. She competed for the Millard Athletic Association’s “Sizzle” select softball program, where she grew to become a dependable leadoff hitter and was known for quickly working her way around the diamond thanks to her amazing speed. She continued with Sizzle through her eighth grade year. Then, rather than making the jump to high school softball, she decided to pursue cheerleading. Fricke was selected to the cheer squad her freshman year and has continued this year as a sophomore.

Although she had never participated in track, she was up for a new challenge after years of success on the softball field. As one of few freshmen to run at the varsity level, she quickly realized that she was meant to be a sprinter for the Wildcats. Fricke found immediate success, steadily improving over the course of the season as she refined her technique. Her performance at Districts garnered her a lane in the 2013 Nebraska State Track Meet where she captured the Class A Bronze Medal in the 100-meter and a fifth place finish in the 200-meter. She was also an integral leg on the All-Class Gold Medal winning 4 x 100-meter relay team, posting a time of 47.81 seconds, which now ranks third in Nebraska Girls High School history.

Fricke continues to work hard and is off to a great start in now her sophomore season; and while she’s a standout on the track, she’s also a champion in the classroom. Fricke currently holds a 3.96 GPA, takes several Advanced Placement courses, and is ranked 49th out of 563 students in her class. She has lettered in Academics her freshman and sophomore years, something she’s extremely proud of. Fricke eventually plans to study for a career in orthodontia.

When she’s at home, Fricke enjoys reading, cooking, hanging out with her family and playing with her two yellow labs, Holly and Sammie. She has an older sister, Stephanie, who is a senior at Millard West, and a younger sister, Elise, who is a seventh grader at Russell Middle School.

Sarah is the daughter of Tom and Megan Fricke of Millard.

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