THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT, May 6, 2015: A hurdler, naturally

Coeur d'Alene High track and field coach Linda Lanker knew when she saw Kaitlyn Gunnerson competing for Canfield Middle School that the hurdles was the event for her.

One state title later, two second-place finishes, and one more run at a repeat title in the 100-meter hurdles next weekend at Dona Larsen Park in Boise, it appears that Lanker knew exactly what she was doing.

GUNNERSON SIGNED a letter of intent to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in April, where she'll compete in the hurdles for the Cougars.

"I really like the environment down there," Gunnerson said. "The coaching staff is really great. It's kind of where I've had my mind set on going."

At BYU, Lanker believes that Gunnerson will only get better.

"I think it's the perfect place for her," Lanker said. "She's always dreamt of going there. I know the coach (Stephani Perkins) really well, and she'll keep moving her on to the next level, much like Arizona did for Morgan (Struble)."

At first, Gunnerson was chasing Struble - a two-time state champion in the 300 hurdles while at Coeur d'Alene High - and Wednesday Walton, who won the event in her senior year at Post Falls. Gunnerson won the 100 hurdles last year and finished second in the 300 hurdles.

"Hurdling kind of came naturally to me," Gunnerson said. "I've always been a little bit flexible. I've been picking it up since the eighth grade. It definitely helped having Linda there with me each year, just working on something different. This year, it's my lead leg. Last year, it was my trail leg, and just working on individual things like that."

The 5A Region 1 track and field meet begins on Thursday at Coeur d'Alene High, with most running events taking place Friday at Lewiston's Vollmer Bowl. The top three individuals and two relays advance to the state meet.

"Her progression really goes back to when I grabbed her when Canfield was training at Coeur d'Alene High," Lanker said. "Just watching her, I knew she was going to be good. I could tell by her flexibility that she had a natural ability for it. Just watching her grow as an athlete, getting to compete and practice with Morgan, this year she's really put it all together learning to get out of the blocks. The key to the hurdles is getting out on that first hurdle, and she's mastered that first part. By the time she got to her senior year, her times have came down amazingly."

She trails Struble for school records in both the 100 hurdles (.21 seconds) and (2.1) in the 300 hurdles. In an effort to get stronger in the 300 hurdles, Gunnerson competed on the Vikings' cross country team as a senior.

"It really has helped with my endurance," Gunnerson said. "Although the 300 and 400 aren't really long races, it's having that base to keep your sprint longer."

Gunnerson added she intends to study exercise and wellness in college.

"I'm a very active person," Gunnerson said. "I love going out and running, playing Ultimate Frisbee, but mainly running. I just love being active. It really created an active lifestyle for me. I don't like sitting behind a desk or just sitting in front of a television at home."

IN ADDITION to the hurdles, Gunnerson is part of the school's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, which currently have the top times in the state. The 4x400 relay team - which also includes Victoria Goetz, Carmen Duffy and Emily Callahan - won in a school record 3 minutes, 56.96 seconds at the Strandberg Invitational on Saturday at Central Valley High in Spokane.

The previous record was set in 2012 in 3:57.12, by Goetz, Gunnerson, Brittany Tackett and Struble.

"It was an awesome feeling," Gunnerson said. "We didn't go into it expecting to break the record, but it was perfect. We hadn't had any competition the entire year, and then to have Kamiakin right there with us the entire race definitely helped us. Everyone ran their race perfectly and didn't get out of the blocks too fast and were able to do it."

"It was huge for those girls, especially going against those kids," Lanker said. "That's why we went to that meet was to see good competition."

Thanks to Lanker, Gunnerson believes Coeur d'Alene can compete with anyone, anywhere, and every time.

"She's everything to me," Gunnerson said. "She's the reason why we're doing as well as we are in the sprinting end of things. We wouldn't be breaking school records. The last two hurdlers that have came through this school have been state champions, and it's because of her and what she's doing."

With a strong performance in a few weeks, that elusive state title may not be out of reach either.

"It would be a huge statement with a small amount of girls compared to the Boise schools," Gunnerson said. ??To bring back a trophy, and we've got a chance with the potential of our sprinters, distance kids and relays. Everyone needs to be performing at their maximum best and potential to get the points we need. We don't pressure each other, but just tell each other to go out and run their race."

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.