Lawrence High School sophomore runner Evann Seratte competes in the girls' 400 race during the Free State Invitational on Friday at FSHS.

Prior to this summer, Lawrence High track standout Evann Seratte had never competed in a meet outside of the school season.

After posting some of her fastest times throughout the spring at the state’s high school level, she wanted to see how she would perform on a bigger stage.

Seratte will have that opportunity, competing in four events at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics, which begin Monday at Rock Chalk Park.

“It’s kind of surreal thinking about it,” Seratte said. “I think, ‘Wow, this is a national meet.’ Kids are going to be coming from all over and I’ll get the chance to compete with them. Hopefully I can just live up to the challenge and give my best out there.”

Seratte, who will be a junior at LHS, traveled to a USATF regional in Joplin, Mo., earlier this month and placed second in the 800-meter run (2:20.04) and third in the 400 (59.72). Baldwin High junior Natalie Beiter was fifth in the 800 (2:23.34), qualifying for the Junior Olympics.

It wasn’t the fastest times for Seratte, but she was satisfied because she said she is still trying to move back into shape. In preparation for the races, she completed her own track workouts at her high school.

After the regional, Seratte joined the Hot Feet Track Club, which is based in Kansas City, which will allow her to run in the 4×400 relay and 4×800 relays.

“I was definitely hopeful that I would qualify,” said Seratte, who took fourth at the Class 6A state meet in the 400. “I was a lot more nervous since there were kids from more than Kansas there. I was definitely nervous about the level of talent that I would be facing.”

Seratte is one of several local competitors entered in the Junior Olympics. Free State senior Cameryn Thomas and Lawrence High senior Hunter Krom both took first place in their events at the Joplin regional. Thomas will compete in the heptathlon among 17-18 year old girls and Krom is entered in the boys’ javelin for 17-18 year olds.

Beiter, who runs with the Kansas Flyers Track Team, qualified in the 4×800 relay. She ran the anchor leg at the regional, completing the race in 10:09.50.

Jack Keathley-Helms, who is entering the eighth grade at Corpus Christi, qualified in the 13-14 year old boys’ division of the 400, 800 and 1,500 races.

“I just figured since I had some high school experience under my belt, I felt like I was ready to take on this next challenge,” Seratte said. “Since it was in Lawrence, it just made it that much easier to decided to try and compete.”

Some of the top runners in the nation will travel to Lawrence for the Junior Olympics, including the daughter of former NFL star wide receiver Chad Johnson (formerly Chad Ochocinco), who wrote on Twitter that he plans to be in attendance. Johnson’s daughter, Cha’iel, owns a U.S. national age group record in the 800-meter run among 12 year old girls (2:14.8).

It will be a new experience for all of the local athletes, who haven’t competed at one top showcases for youth track.

“I’m definitely going in with an open mind,” Seratte said. “I don’t know what to expect. I know there’s going to be a lot of good competition and I can’t wait to get out there and race against them and see the level of talent that will be there.”

Seratte said she has a goal of recording a personal-record time in the 800, plus she’s looking forward to seeing the chemistry between her new relay teammates.

Even if she doesn’t know exactly what to expect from her competitors, she’s happy she made the decision to run track in the summer season for the first time.

“I’m really excited,” Seratte said. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”