It took only 7.40 seconds for freshman Kate Hall to get heads turning at Saturday’s Big 4 Duals.

When Hall first stepped up to the starting blocks of the 60-meter dash preliminaries, she was met with nerves and an introduction that announced she was a 26-time Maine High School state champion.

A pre-race leap in the air to shake some of those nerves, the shot of the starting pistol and a 7.40-second sprint to the finish line signified the beginning of a promising ISU track and field career.

“It was really exciting,” Hall said about competing in her first meet as a Cyclone. “I was really excited for the meet, really excited to see my teammates compete.”

Around the high school track and field world, Hall is remembered as the national girls high school record holder in the long jump. Iowa State’s first memory of Hall, however, will be her record-breaking performance in the 60-meter dash that placed her second all-time in ISU history.

“I usually get really nervous before I run, but it was good to run the prelim and get all of the nerves out so I was ready for the finals,” Hall said. “I wasn’t nervous for the finals and I was more confident going into it.”

That confidence led to a first-place finish in the finals of the event and the replacement of her own 7.40 mark in the ISU record books with a 7.30 time. Her title in the event would be one of seven first-place ISU performances at the Big 4 Duals.  

The successful day continued for Hall, who after running in the 60-meter dash moved on to compete in the long jump for the first time wearing an ISU jersey.

Hall added a second title on the day after finishing with a mark of 20 feet, 2¼ inches, which was more than a foot farther than her closest competitor.  

“I think it was a good start,” Hall said. “I might have been hoping for a little bit further, but I only took two jumps, and my main concern [Saturday] was the [60-meter dash]. Overall, it was a success, and we’ll see what happens next week.”

Not even the return of Edward Kemboi — the 800-meter indoor and outdoor national champion in his final season with the Cyclones a year ago —  to the ISU track as an unattached runner in the men’s 1,000-meter run could overshadow Hall’s record-breaking ISU debut.  

“I think this meet will definitely help me for future meets because I was really nervous going into it, but coming in and running 7.30 [in the 60-meter dash] kind of helped me realize, OK, now I’ll be able to do well in the upcoming meets and relax,” Hall said.

ISU freshmen take on significant roles

Hall wasn’t the only ISU freshman who enjoyed a successful home debut. 

After helping lead Iowa State’s 4×400-meter relay team to a first-place finish and placing one-two in the 1,000-meter run at the Holiday Inn Invitational a week ago, freshmen Jasmine Staebler and Erinn Stenman-Fahey were back at it again Saturday at the Big 4 Duals.  

Staebler and Stenman-Fahey took the top two spots in the 800-meter run before assisting in a second-place performance for the 4×400-meter relay team. 

“I think those two are going to have a really significant role as the season goes on and certainly in years to come, which is exactly what we hoped for out of that group, so we’re feeling good about it,” said ISU assistant track and field coach Andrea Grove-McDonough.  

Anne Frisbie added to the strong freshman performances for the Cyclones after placing second in the 3,000 meter run, with freshman Kelly Naumann finishing close behind in fourth.

The Cyclones will be back in action Friday and Saturday at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.