West Allegheny freshman surprising opponents on the track
"West Allegheny High School track and field coach Jim Hamilton chuckles when opposing athletes and coaches get a look at freshman sprinter and hurdler Lauren Costa for the first time.
"You see a skinny girl with not a lot of muscle tone lining up at the starting line, and [opponents] don't think much is going to happen," said Hamilton, who has coached at the school for 21 years.
Then the gun goes off. And more times than not, Costa, who stands 5 feet 6, is crossing the finish line first in either the 100- or 200-meter dash.
"We were talking about her ability, and I just came up with the nickname 'The Grim Reaper' because when she runs, she takes the soul away from the other runners," Hamilton said of a discussion with other Indians track coaches. "If you see her run, she's always laughing and having a lot of fun.""
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