That’s how stunned the Webster City freshman was as she stared at the scoreboard moments after she took part in the Class 3A 400-meter hurdles on the famed Blue Oval.

Her goal was to set a new personal record. Well, that and to not get last.

Consider it done.

But to PR by nearly two seconds? Nope, she never saw that coming.

WCHS freshman Adeline Tesdahl sends up a prayer before the start of the Class 3A 400-meter hurdles on Friday in Des Moines. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“To PR by that much is just crazy,” Tesdahl said as she sat on the infield turf. “The girl that won the (North Central Conference) this year was running 69 (seconds) and blew me away. So to know I could get that time too just meant a lot to me.”

Tesdahl was perhaps the happiest 15th-place finisher in the stadium. She entered seeded 22nd, but blew that away in the opening section when she crossed in 1:09.87 to finish second among the eight competitors.

Her previous best time of 1:11.68 came a week earlier at the state qualifier. Prior to that, she’d never run faster than 1:12.

“To come down here as a freshman and run a PR by almost two seconds is just unreal,” WCHS head coach Clint Howard said. “She should be very proud of herself because she’s worked hard all season and she’s going to continue to work hard. We’ve got a lot to look forward to in the next three seasons.”

Tesdahl was the Lynx most versatile performer all season, but she didn’t start consistently running the 400 hurdles until mid-April. She never imagined five weeks later that she’d be running in front of thousands of fans at the state meet.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“Every time I would ask someone about the 400 hurdles they would say, well, it’s the worst race,” Tesdahl said. “It’s not the worst race, it’s just the hardest and I like the challenge.

“I really liked being here and just experiencing everything.”

Howard said she may have started running the hurdles late, but he knew there was potential prior to the start of the season.

“Before the season started we had talked that this might give her the best shot to get to state,” he said. “And she’s just progressed. She started in the 74s and then just consistently knocked her time down over the last four or five weeks.”

Tesdahl was a little over two seconds outside of the medals (top 8). Winterset’s Darci Wiseman claimed the 3A 400 hurdles state title in 1:03.91.