FEATURE: Jenna Farmer: Lewisburg's mid distance legacy continued

It's an odd year when the Lewisburg girls don't have a 4x800 in the AA top five at the state championships.


Indeed the PIAA records show that it's only happened three times since 2001.

The anchors of those teams, and the ones that proceeded them, have been standouts, many truly remarkable.


In the mid-90s it was Jill Snyder, a four-time individual gold medalist getting that final handoff; in the early 2000s it was 1,600 gold medalist Ashleigh Wetzel; in 2007 Kalyn Fisher came on the scene winning three 800 golds as well as anchoring three first-place 4x800 relays.


Now Lewisburg coach Jonathon Clark said there is another name he wants to add to that list - senior Jenna Farmer.


"She certainly moves into the all-time top four," said the coach who has been at the Lewisburg helm for 31 years. "Jill Snyder, Ashley Wetzel, Kalyn Fisher and now Jenna Farmer."


After a promising start her freshman year Farmer found herself injured by the time the postseason came around. Her sophomore year saw her anchor the Lewisburg 4x800 to fourth place and finish just out of the medals in the 800 final.


And then things changed - really changed - for Farmer.




"(In my sophomore year ) I found myself focusing on my physical pain that the race," she said. "I held back. (Since my junior year) I'm not focused on my body I'm just focusing mentally."


After anchoring her 4x800 team to a bronze medal, Farmer broke five minutes in the 1,600 (4:56.79) to finish fourth.


Although the Lewisburg runner had been skeptical of her ability to go from a 5:08 PR to a sub-5 prior to the race her coaches were not.


"They kept telling me I had never had a race that pushed me to my limit," said Farmer. "(Breaking five minutes) was probably one of the most exciting feelings ever. Because my coaches had pushed me all season and they said I could do it but I wasn't really sure."


The first thing she said to her coaches when she got off the track was, "I'll never doubt you again."


"That's when you know you can mold that athlete in the best possible shape," said Clark.


Assuming all goes well at the District 4 Class AA meet, Farmer is looking forward to competing in the 1,600 again with an eye on bettering her PR and maybe breaking Wetzel's school record (4:54.53) in the process.


Wetzel is doing everything she can to help make it happen.


Although Clark is at the helm and Mike Espinsoa is the mid-distance and distance assistant coach, Wetzel has been a valuable volunteer assistant at Lewisburg.


"Having Ashleigh here has been amazing," said Farmer. "She always keeps your head in the right place.


"Last year after the mile at states, she told me she was going to try her hardest for me to break her record."


Heart for the relays



The races Farmer really looks forward to are the 4x800 and 4x400 where she runs anchor.


"(The relays) are definitely the highlight of every meet for me," she said. "It means so much more when you're running with your teammates and everyone is working to win one race. To have a chance to be in that is really special."


Whether she's run three races by the time she gets the baton or is just starting out doesn't really matter to Farmer.


"I think sometimes it just doesn't matter how you feel - especially during a relay," she said. "I don't care how my body feels - I just give it all I have."


With close neighbor Mifflinburg (AA No. 7) challenging the current AA No. 2 4x800 at every invitational, Farmer has sometimes had to give it a lot.


"I feel like I always run my best times when I'm behind. It's more exciting but it's also more nerve-wracking because I don't want to let my team down."


"You can see her face when someone ahead of her exposes weakness," said Clark. "She almost gets bigger - she just blows up."


Her coachability and heart for racing is a definite point of pride for the Lewisburg staff.


"She's done everything the coaches have asked of her," said Espinosa. "And she's done everything for the team they've never asked of her."


But as much as the coaches might tout her, Farmer had a hard time owning up to her piece of Lewisburg history.


"It's definitely a long line of success," she said. " To even have a small part of that -- nothing compared to the Kalyn Fisher's - it's still good to be part of that team and that legacy."