Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week: Manning's Frierson breaks through for state title in the 400m hurdles

Manning runner Delaney Frierson picked the right time to win her first 400m hurdles race of the season.

The junior was primarily a 400m hurdles runner in the past, but struggled to find her stride in the event early in the season. When the 3A state meet came on Saturday at Lower Richland, she finally broke through. Frierson won the 400m hurdles and came away with a second-place finish in the 100m hurdles.

That performance was more than enough to earn recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"It feels great," Frierson said of the recognition. "I feel like it's well deserved on my part because I worked hard this year."

Frierson wasn't sure what to expect out of the state meet. She had an up and down regular season after having minor arm surgery in the offseason, but she started to hit her stride at the Region VI-3A meet. While she started to find a rhythm, she hadn't won a 400m hurdles race, despite the event being her specialty in the past.

Adding to the challenge was where she set up in the race on Saturday.

"At first, I was a little worried because I hadn't done well in the 400m hurdles like I usually do," Frierson said. "My times were a little slower and then I was in Lane 1, which is the longest lane on the track. I felt better during the race."

The longer lane didn't end up bothering Frierson, who finished the race in 1:07.13 to come home with a state title. She beat Carolina Cassidy from Camden, who took second with a time of 1:08.03. After a frustrating year, she almost didn't realize she won the race.

"I literally had to ask the other girl if I won," Frierson said. "I was so shocked."

She said the difference-maker was the support she could feel from her coaches during the race.

"My coaches were yelling on the sideline, and I heard them while I was running," Frierson said. "That helped me really kick it in."

Manning head track coach Dontavis Miller has seen the hard work Frierson has put in over the years, so a state title wasn't a surprise.

"She always had it in her. She was just one of our kids that trusted the process, got stronger over the years and really put in the extra time with AAU track and things like that," Miller said. "We knew it was going to come, we just didn't know it was going to come so soon."

That wasn't the only race Frierson thrived in on Saturday. In fact, that wasn't the event she expected to have her top finish in.

Frierson came into the day gunning for the 100m hurdles title. She was happy enough to settle for second with a time of 15.47, a personal best. She was just behind Mid-Carolina's Carissa Wicker, who finished in 15.34.

The junior returned to Manning with a pair of medals, beaming with pride.

"It felt good because I really hadn't done that well this season until like region time," Frierson. "For me to actually win and bring home medals and have all that support, felt good."

Of course, winning a state title as an underclassman puts a big target on Frierson's back. She's excited for the challenge.

"I feel like there's going to be a lot of competition because of me winning," Frierson said. "People are going to try to come back and beat the senior, but I'm going to come back stronger than ever, get my times down and win a state title again."