Anna Thomason's record-breaking season: How Saxony alum conquered mental hurdles to achieve new heights

The indoor portion of the 2024-25 track & field season has been one of new heights for Saxony Lutheran alum Anna Thomason.

The Southeast Missouri State junior set a new personal record in the long jump after recording a mark of 18' 10.5", as she won the gold in the Redhawk Invite on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the SEMO Recreation Center. She also won the 55-meter hurdle with a time of 8.13, which established a personal record.

Thomason's season started on a high note when she set the school record in the pentathlon with 3,643 total points, breaking the previous record of 3,580 set last year by Kaitlyn McGinnitey at the OVC Indoor Championships. Unlike the previous years, Thomason entered Indiana knowing she could win the event and made it a reality.

"I knew that going into it, I knew I could do it, and it's just something that I've been pushing for for a long time," Thomason said. "I'm really proud of how far I have come, because 'freshman year Anna' is not a great competitor. I've just grown so much. It's really a big mental game, and thankfully, I have coaches who have been able to help me overcome that."

Winning the long jump has been a big part of the local multi-event athlete finding success in the pentathlon. Thomason initially struggled with the event early in her collegiate career. Despite entering SEMO as a state qualifier in the long jump, among many other events, Thomason hit a mental in her freshman year.

"I think it's so cool how I've been able to turn it around and come to this meet and win it," Thomason said. "That was really my struggle during my freshman year. It caused a lot of mental breakdowns, and that was probably the event in my freshman year that I was like, 'I don't know if I can continue sometimes,' just because of how mentally challenging the long jump is for me because I just couldn't figure it out."

Thomason went from a 17’ 7” long jump mark as a freshman to an 18' 6" PR last outdoor season, which was then broken this past weekend.

"All of a sudden, something clicked sophomore year, and I was jumping a lot farther," Thomason said. "Now it's just tweaking things here and there."

Southeast Missouri State's Anna Thomason, right, races teammates Brianna Dixon, center, and Clara Billing in the 55-meter hurdles at the Redhawk Invite, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the SEMO Recreation Center. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

That led to her running hurdles, which was a gateway to jumping events. By then, she was forming into a pentathlete before she even had the opportunity to compete in one.

"During my senior year, there was a local pentathlon that they let the local athletes compete in just at high school," Thomason said, "and that's when I was really like, 'Oh my gosh, yeah! This is something that I think I could do and I want to do.' Especially having lots of little strengths in different areas."

While Thomason loves being a multi-event athlete at the collegiate level, some challenges come with it.

"I love getting to do so many different things," Thomason said. "I'm really blessed that my body is capable of handling all these things because it's so hard. It's very mentally draining. I would say the multis are so much more mental than anything else but also very physically draining."

This is where her spiritual strength comes into play to overcome the mental challenges.

I would just say freshman year until the latter half of the (2024) outdoor season, it was just a lot of putting pressure on myself," Thomason said. "I was always competitive, but it would turn into something where I would get angry and down on myself. I think during outdoor, I really had to shift my mindset and be like, 'Hey, it's okay. You've got this, you've trained for this.'

"And also, above everything else, the glory goes to God, because he's the only one who's got me here. He's given me these abilities. He gives me this strength. And so I really have to trust him and everything that I do, instead of relying on my own strength and power to get me through it, because by myself, I can't really get through any of this, especially mentally. Mentally, it's just always been the toughest, and relying on God has definitely been the biggest game changer."

Southeast Missouri State's John Hartmann, a Saxony Lutheran alum, competes in the high jump at the Redhawk Invite, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the SEMO Recreation Center. Tony Capobiano ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Local Redhawks make home debuts

The Redhawk Invite has seen numerous local athletes making their home SEMO debut in the indoor season, especially those who came from Notre Dame High School. Former Lindenwood jumper Cole Bruenderman placed third in the men's long jump (22' 10") with a personal record. Lauren Eftink placed second in the women's mile with a time of 5:20.20, as she continues her first-ever athletic year as older brother Clayton Eftink's teammate. Greg Dennis overcame a year of injuries and took the bronze in the high jump with a mark of 6' 2.75".

One debut that was special to Thomason came from a pulpil of hers. Saxony Lutheran alum John Hartmann finished fourth (6' 0.75") in the high jump in his first home meet as a college athlete. It's the freshman's second season as a jumper, as he tried the event for the first time during his senior year and with the help of Thomason's coaching, won a state championship and earned a spot on the Redhawks.

"Me and my high school coach (Max Wieser), had been trying to get him to come out to do track for a long time before he finally agreed to it," Thomason said. "As soon as I heard that he was going to do the high jump that year at Saxony, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, please let me work with him!' Like, I was so excited.

"I knew after his first (high school) meet, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, yes!' He can compete at this level. That would be so cool to see him in a red jersey with me, and it's been really fun. I'm really proud of how far he's come. He is a great teammate. He's just an all-around great person. So it's really great to see him here, it's great to see him competing well and thriving."

A new record

The Redhawks saved the best for last, as Nick Cimmarusti ran an 8:33.92 in the 3,000-meter race to break the SEMO Student Recreation Center record.

Southeast Missouri State's Clayton Eftink paces a group led by SEMO senior Nick Cimmarusti, who set the new facility record in the 3,000-meter race at the Redhawk Invite, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the SEMO Recreation Center. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Up next

The Redhawks will travel north to Mizzou to take part in the Show Me Showdown on Friday, Jan. 17, in Columbia, Mo.