Mulkin has put up some impressive times this season including a second place 19:26 at the Lawrence County Invitational, but not many people invisioned Tyler as the favorite going into today's race--including herself!
"I went in trying to win, but I really didn't think that I was going to!" Mulkin told AlabamaRunners.com reporter Allen Childs after the race. But she did win in an exciting sprint to the finish with Emily Brackin and Becky Ament, both of Speake High School.
The Altamont sophomore showed great racing maturity in the race, biding her time before finally making her move. Mulkin stayed back off the lead pack for the first two thirds of the race before pushing up toward the leaders. There she waited.
"I knew I wasn't going to break away until the end of the race, so I just stayed calm and waited for my chance," said Mulkin. And with 150 meters left in the race Mulkin saw her opportunity and took it. Sprinting it home she would get 5 seconds of separation from runner up Emily Brackin of Speake HS, who finished second for the second year in a row. Speake though would chalk up yet another girls 1A-3A team championship.
Mulkin's time proved the fifth fastest girls time of the day (the fastest out of any race but the 6A). Beating out the times of the likes of Meredith Fuqua of Mountain Brook and Tara Lenn of St. Pauls.
Congratulations, Tyler!