Valor Christian’s versatile Hall shines
Heptathlon keeps her busy outside CHSAA season
For a second consecutive year, Valor Christian’s Anna Hall put on a show at the state track and field championships. The sophomore won Class 4A titles in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles over the weekend, in addition to finishing runner-up in the high jump and fourth in the 400.
Impressed? That’s just the half of it, as Hall competes in the heptathlon outside the CHSAA season as one of the most talented and versatile female prep track athletes in the state.
“I just have this deep love for the sport and a desire to compete in as many events as I can,” said Hall, who won a Class 5A title in the high jump for Arapahoe as a freshman. “Heptathlon fills that desire, and even though I don’t get to compete in it during in-state meets, it’s constantly driving me. I want to be an Olympic heptathlete one day.”
Hall’s personal record of 4,963 points in the heptathlon — athletes compete in the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200, long jump, javelin and 800 over two days — ranks second nationally among high schoolers.
“The heptathlon requires a very different approach to training — I come early to practice to work on long jump, run the regular practice and stay late to work on high jump,” Hall said. “Your body has to learn how to do hurdles, and high jump, and all sorts of other different technical motions in order to do well overall.”
Driving her ascent is an athletically elite family; two of her older sisters are playing Division I sports at the University of Michigan. Kara Hall is a junior tennis player for the Wolverines, and freshman Julia Hall is a sprinter on the track team.
Anna won the 4x400 relay title in 5A last season with Julia, who has been a motivating force in the Valor Christian athlete’s budding track career.
“Julia’s had a huge influence, because we started doing track together when we were so young,” Hall said. “It’s been fun to have her with me over the last few years to work toward our goals, and still when she comes back into town, because we’re always pushing each other to do better.”
And while Hall has been molded by the success of older sisters, the Valor Christian program has already been molded by Hall.
“It helps to have someone who’s that good at practice every day, because it motivates us to do better and it gives us all a good benchmark,” said Eagles sophomore Lizzie Waters, who placed fourth in the 300 hurdles. “Personally, in just her first year with the team, she’s really pushed me a lot, because she shows everyone that you should never settle.”
Settle she won’t, especially if Hall wants to achieve her Olympic dream.
“We’ll continue to work on her strength and speed levels because she’s got a nice stride length and, naturally, we’ll keep trying to improve her stride frequency to complement that,” Valor Christian coach Brian Kula said. “Then, there’s fine-tuning to be done in all the technical events that she does.”
That fine-tuning is something Hall has come to appreciate as she continues to evolve as a heptathlete.
“Today, I didn’t have my best jumps,” Hall said, but the thing about the heptathlon is, there’s always progress to be made in every event. As long as I keep building on that progress — even when I’m not actually competing in the heptathlon — that’s how I’ll get to where I want.”