Saturday’s 3A girls’ state track meet was a day of individual wins for area athletes including Christiansburg’s Maddie Padgett who cleared 5-2 in the high jump for the state championship. The mark was her personal best after finishing tied for second in the region meet five days earlier.

“I was jumping well and cleared it with ease at the state meet,” she said Sunday.

She has also competed in the hurdles and long jump, but only placed in the high jump during the state meet.

Padget has also been involved in gymnastics and cheerleading for the past two years at Christiansburg High School but is now putting all her concentration on track.

“I started jumping in seventh grade and really have loved it since,” she said.

The Christiansburg senior has been steady jumping at 5-0 for a while, but is now working on her technique that could push her to 5-4 in the outdoors this spring. That mark could give her another state title.

“I really think I can go 5-4 outdoors,” Padgett said.

Track has become her main interest with hopes it can lead to a college education.

She hopes to attend Roanoke College or Radford University and continue her track and field career.

Padgett would like to major in criminal justice and compete in the heptathlon or decathlon events. “I will have to work on the other events in the spring associated with both of those to prepare me for collegiate competition,” she said.

The spring season will begin by mid-March.