A Noxon senior saved her best for last, but missed out on gold by a blink of an eye at the Class C state championships in Helena last weekend.

On the last day of her high school career, Lady Red Devil Kimmy Moore ran the 100-meter hurdles in 15.66 seconds to finish in second place. Teagan McKinlay won the race with a time of 15.63 seconds. “Do you know how close that is. It’s about this close,” Noxon coach Kelly Moore said, while pinching his thumb and index finger together. Kimmy’s time in the 100 hurdles was a school record and came on a day when the conditions weren’t favorable, rain had soaked the field and track of Vigilante Stadium for two days straight. “It was rainy and cold,” Kelly said. “She had a great race, being able to knock a half of a second of of her time in that weather.”

Kelly said that before starting the race Kimmy was told to give it all she had and that’s exactly what she did. “Of course you want to win it, but when you perform your best and you get beat, you deal with it,” he said. Kelly said Kimmy chose the perfect time to run her best race, in the final heat at state, when the big money is on the line. “She did what we asked her to,” Kelly said.

The 100 hurdles was just one of five events Kimmy competed in at the state championships. Kimmy placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles Friday with a time of 47.59 seconds. Kimmy also ran the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. She was able place in the top 10 and advance to the final round in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. “Just to make it to the 100, 200 and 400, plus the two hurdles is an accomplishmet,” Kelly said. It was Kimmy’s second year in a row to compete in five events in the state finals.

Junior Jesse Hay will now have to carry on the hurdling tradition at Noxon. Hay just missed out in placing in the 300-meter hurdles at the state finals. Hay ran the 300 hurdles in just over 43 seconds to place in seventh. Hay’s time in the 300 was about two seconds slower than his quickest time. “The weather was part of it. It was pouring.” Hay said. The trip to Helena, was Hay’s first trip to the state finals. Hay said he didn’t really know what to expect, but the competition was stiff. “There was definitely a high level of competition,” Hay said.

Although Hay said he thought he could have done on his first trip to the state championship, He said he was proud of his steady improvement over the season and is excited for next year. “I’m pretty close to breaking a couple of records,” Hay said. Kelly said he is also looking forward to next season with Hay. “He had a really good season. I’m looking forward to seeing him next year,” he said.