In the 100-meter hurdles, there are 10 barriers in between the athletes and the finish line.
Rylee Hampton (Houston Cyp. Ridge) is accustomed to barriers standing in her way and she is just as accustomed to clearing them and getting the finish line.
This track and field season brought an obstacle many athletes must face at one time or another - - injury.
For Hampton, this hurdle came after the best season of her young career. She had just won the UIL 6A 100-meter hurdle state championship and she did so against some of the stiffest competition in Texas.
The level of success she was enjoying would be hard for any young athlete to have to accept an injury.
By the end of last season, not only did Hampton have a gold medal to show for her hard work and dedication to the sport, but she had cemented herself as one of the best prep hurdlers in Texas history.
She ended the year with a wind-legal time of 13.18, becoming the third ranked hurdler in the nation for the 2023 season. It also made her the third best ever in Texas. She only trails the 2016 record setting duo of Alexis Duncan (DeSoto) who ran 12.93 and Tonea Marshall (Arlington Seguin) who ran 13.04.
Duncan and Marshall were seniors when they ran their iconic season of back-and-forth must see races. Hampton, however was just a junior and seemed to have another year to try to eclipse the two icons.
The next card in the deck for Hampton wasn't one of positive vibes. Every athlete knows that they are an injury away from being sidelined, but you never know when it's going to come.
Region 3-6A Girls 100-meter hurdle finals
She was knocked off and sidetracked just for pursuing her passion of hurdling. Unable to put on a uniform or line up for a race this season, the University of Georgia was forced to wait and watch from the sidelines.
With social media and media outlets reporting weekly about what was going on, Hampton would come to know the struggle of learning and applying patience.
Patience is what she would exhibit until she no longer had to wait any longer.
The reigning state champion was able to return to hurdling just in time for the district meet.
In Hampton's first race back, she ran 14.05 to win the UIL 6A - District 17 title. That qualified her for the UIL 6A - District 17/18 Area Meet where she won again with an even faster time of 14.00 and advancing to the next round.
Only two more races stood in the way of Hampton being able to defend her state title. At the UIL Region 3-6A championships, she ran 14.32 in the prelims to advance to the finals. That's where despite a rain delay, Hampton's new found patience was yet again applied.
When competition began, she ran a season best 13.74 to win the regional title and advance to the state meet once again.
The next step of applying patience for Hampton will be a little more satisfying. It is not until almost two weeks when she'll get the opportunity to race again for the UIL 6A state championship and defend her crown.
The same passion for hurdling coursing through her veins that led her to this path is the same passion that may lead her back to another UIL 6A state title.