A pair of Lyle-Pacelli track and field athletes are looking to leave their mark at the Class A state track and field meet in Hamline University in St. Paul next week.

Senior Sarah Holtz will compete in the high jump at state for the third straight year, and freshman Kayla Christopherson, who is a two-time All-State cross country runner, will run in her first state track and field meet when she competes in the 1600-meter run. Holtz will compete at 3:30 p.m. Friday and Christopherson will compete Saturday.

Holtz took fourth at the Class A high jump last season and her height of 5-4 at the Section 1A meet puts her among the favorites entering this year’s meet.

“I’m not trying to set my sights too high, but it would be a high note,” Holtz said of aiming for first. “It would be good to end my career on something I’ve been working on for a long time. It kind of stung last year not getting it.”

Holtz said high jumping can be as much mental as it is physical at this point in the season. She’s going to do whatever she can to get to get back on the podium.

“It takes repetition,” Holtz said. “You have to mentally picture yourself going over the bar and you literally have to visualize every step up to the bar and every motion that you make. Little things make a difference.”

Christopherson already ran against one of the top distance runners in Minnesota when she took second behind Winona Cotter seventh grader Grace Ping at the Section 1A meet. Ping won the Class A cross country meet in the fall.

“She’s quick and I want to beat her. She’s great competition and someone who pushes me to run faster,” said Christopherson, who finished eighth in the Class A cross country meet this past fall.

Although they are in different events, Christopherson and Holtz are excited to compete with each other at state. Christopherson was in the crowd watching Holtz at the state meet the last two years and she’s looked up to her as a role model.

“Sarah has great sportsmanship and she’s someone you really want to look up to. She competes and she works hard,” Christopherson said.

Holtz was glad to see Christopherson make it to the state meet.

“Kayla’s worked so hard and she deserved this more than anyone,” Holtz said. “It’ll be great to have two Lyle-Pacelli competitors.”