Kailey Littlefield will compete for a four-peat in the 800m at the 2024 UIL 5A Track and Field State Championships
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If you were to measure and compare the Kailey Littlefield track and field prep career at Lovejoy, there would be very few to ascertain or assess it with.
After Monday's Region 1-5A win in the 800m, that now affords Oklahoma State signee Littlefield an opportunity to win a fourth UIL 5A state championship in the event.
Only four girls in UIL history have won four consecutive 800m state titles (Amy Godwin (Bellville), and Mindy Myers (Munday), Jaelyn Rogers (Hamlin), Lauren Simpson (Canyon)).
The 800m is a difficult event to win one title in yet alone two, three, or even four.
Holding the overall UIL state meet record with her 2:06.21 from the 2022 win, Littlefield not only holds the best UIL 5A state meet performance in the event, but she also has the fourth best UIL 5A all-time run with her 2:08.04 as a freshman in 2021.
On the surface, it appears Littlefield came around at just the right time and was able to enforce her dominance on the event. However, it hasn't been as evident as that like one might think.
Photo Credit: Chance Kirby
In winning the '21 and '22 state titles, they were both won in head-to-head competitions against another all-time great Texas half-miler.
Isabel Conde De Frankenberg (Cedar Park) is a four-time state champion and has been a consistent challenger throughout Littlefield's career at Lovejoy.
This season's state meet race might be the most difficult race of them all for Littlefield to win.
Frankenberg was runner-up in both seasons and eventually won a 2022 New Balance Nationals Outdoor national title in the 800m with a TX No. 4 all-time 2:05.61 performance.
Frankenberg will again race it out again this season. She won the Region 4-5A 800m with a time of 2:09.32 ahead of Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion) who ran 2:09.90 to qualify as well.
There will also be two 2:10 performances entering from the regional rounds with Taylor Brown (Frisco Lebanon Trail) and Hailey Johnson (Montgomery Lake Creek). Add Mia Perez (Smithson Valley) who ran 2:11.09 as a sophomore last year and this field is as fast and deep as Littlefield's previous wins.
With so much on the line and the chance at history, one might think Littlefield would be placing all of her attention to that event.
Nevertheless, that has not been quite the case this year. It wasn't until the UIL qualifying season when she began to place her focus on the event.
Photo Credit: Casey Chancellor
Littlefield only competed in the open 800m two times this year prior to the district championships. She has pretty much competed in anything else. Her MileSplit profile shows her participation in the 100m, 200m, and of course her usual 400m runs.
Littlefield has continued to get a couple 1,600m runs in per usual, but she has added the 300-meter hurdles this season. With five races in the event, she added a runner-up finish at the UIL 5A - District 13 finals and had a personal best 44.47 this season.
Although the 300-meter hurdle event uses the same energy systems and could be considered a natural complimentary event for the 800m, Littlefield has dropped the event and it now appears her focus is back on her primary event.
It appears her focus is all-in on the 800m once again. That is also where our attention will be as one of the main storylines of the 2024 UIL State Track and Field Championships will be Littlefield's attempt in etching herself in the UIL upper-echelon of the 800m.