MELLETTE - It started off as a simple way to save time and has evolved into a serious race against time. Last spring, Jessica Boekelheide was in a bit of hurry to attend a function following a track and field meet. She received permission to run a sprint race instead of her usual distance event. Less than 13 seconds later, the Northwestern athlete had begun a new journey on her way to becoming one of the state's premier sprinters. Boekelheide set a new school record that day in her first attempt at the 100-meter dash. "Of course, it was a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to do well," Boekelheide said. "I was just running it for fun." Since that day, Boekelheide has traded in her distance races for sprints and the senior has made the most of her opportunities. "It’s not easy, but I always thought it was important to be a well-rounded athlete, so even when I was running longer, I was still working on my speed," Boekelheide said. "Now, I’ve just focused more so on that."