The Cedar Ridge senior has served notice that she is back in the hunt for the 2A state title in the high jump.
I first met Libby Florence two years ago, when I was working the high jump at polar bear meet at Bishop McGuinness. She qualified for the indoor state meet there, and I have kept an eye on her career since then. That's why she caught my eye this weekend by clearing 5' 4" at her first meet of the winter, a significant improvement over her previous two seasons. Based on her words in the interview below, it seems that Libby has rededicated herself to high jump this year (start with last spring), and that effort appears to be paying off. Her goal this year is 5' 8", and that would crush her previous PR of 5' 5" and put her among the best in the state (and help North Carolina continue a streak of 5' 8" or higher jumpers, too). The high jump is one of my favorite events to watch, due to the combination of power and grace that it requires, and a high jump competition can be very entertaining when a few athletes start "dueling" and feeding off of each other's success. I recommend you try it sometime, and maybe you can watch Libby jump, as well!
Libby Florence's Athlete Profile