Track and field was hardly a blip on Miranda Miller's radar a year ago.
A knee injury had forced her to shelf competitive gymnastic and her focus was on CrossFit training.
But all that changed when she joined the Sierra High track program.
“My English teacher (coach Jeff) Greene asked me to come out for the team. He knew I did gymnastics and might be good at doing the pole vault," said Miller, who not only excelled but was the top point-getter for the girls in leading the Timberwolves past Oakdale for the Valley Oak League title.
She not only pole vaulted, but did the long jump, 100-meter hurdles and triple jump. The latter was her specialty, as she set school records in the triple jump while reaching new heights.
She hit a program-best mark of 37 feet, 4 inches for a third-place finish in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships triple jump. Miller’s effort pushed her through to the CIF state meet, where she placed 26th overall. She was the lone Manteca-area athlete to reach state.
"Miranda was our secret weapon," Sierra High head track coach Ezequiel Ruiz said Friday during Miller's letter-of-intent signing to run NCAA Division I track for CSU Bakersfield next fall.
She's leaning towards studying kinesiology.
"I love the triple jump," said Miller, who credits that field event for helping her earn the full-ride athletic scholarship from the appropriately named Roadrunners of the Western Athletic Conference.
Her parents, Francine and Andrew Miller, along with her older sister Christina and her family, grandparents, friends, coaches and administrator were all on hand for Miranda Miller's special signing event at the SHS library.
A year ago, she didn't even think this day would be possible.
"I'm very grateful she had coaches who asked her to come out for track and that (Miranda) found her sport in high school," said her mother Francine.
Greene recalled seeing Miranda Miller at a school rally doing a gymnastics move as a freshman.
It wasn't until her junior year that she finally came out for track.
Greene and Ruiz were among the many who were amazed at how quickly a first timer like Miller took to the sport.
"She's a natural with great body control that you see in very few athletes," Ruiz said. "She's also very competitive."
The Timberwolves coach had been blessed to have a handful of his track athletes reach the state meet during his seven years with the program.
Miller was special.
"It was incredible what she did in just her first year (ever) of track and field," Ruiz said.
Now a senior, Miller is looking ahead to the upcoming track and field season.
"She's always building on her skills," said Francine Miller of her daughter with that strong competitive edge.