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St. Joseph's Lexi Willardsen takes flight in the girls high jump at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Weber High's Abigail Hall watches her throw during the girls shot put at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden High's Ethan Wardell soars through the air during the boys long jump at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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St. Joseph's Lexi Willardsen takes a moment before competing in the girls high jump at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden High's Morgan Ulrich lurches forward during the girls shot put at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Weber High's Nash Smoot soars through the air during the boys long jump at the annual City-County Meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Fremont High School in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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PLAIN CITY — Neither Fremont’s Abbie Baird nor St. Joseph’s Lexi Willardsen are the kind to shy away from extra reps. The pair elected to bump the bar higher at the annual City-County track and field meet Wednesday after each cleared the 5-foot mark and qualified for state.

With the timing system delaying track and other events, the girls high jump was the place to be during the opening round of events on Wednesday.

Amongst 19 total jumpers, Baird and Willardsen thinned the pool as the soon-to-be girls high jump finalists during the first day of competition at Fremont High School. Willardsen, a senior at St. Joseph, is headed to state for a fourth consecutive year; Baird, a junior at Fremont, punched her state ticket just a second time.

Willardsen ranked in the top 10, placing eighth individually clearing 4 feet, 11 inches during the 2A state championships in Provo last spring. The recent addition of Daniel Line to the Jayhawks coaching staff pushed Willardsen’s personal best to 5 feet, 1 inch this offseason.

“(Line) told me the best jump you’ll ever have, you won’t be able to tell people how you did it,” Willardsen said.

Wednesday’s faceoff with Baird was more than welcomed by both sides, eager to couple their state berth with a new personal record. Baird beat Willardsen to the punch, clearing 5 feet, 1 inch before the St. Joseph senior to claim the event.

It wasn’t a crowded mat but Willardsen assigned unique meaning to a faceoff with someone she considers a tremendous talent.

“Of course I want to win, but I thought it was a really cool to see (Baird) jump,” Willardsen said.

Fremont’s lone competitor in the girls high jump, Baird said her third season battling the bar comes with some relief knowing she’s working within her own world out there. Baird cleared 5 feet as the 10th-place jumper at the 6A championships in 2024.

“Any extra jumps I can get I’m always down for,” Baird said. “I don’t get much competitive being the only Fremont jumper so it’s definitely nice. … I’ve tried to have more fun this time instead of trying to beat this person or this person.”

Finishing third individually, Bonneville freshman Kaliah Hodgson joined Baird and Willard in clearing the 5-foot marker to qualify for her first-ever state championship.

Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.