But running alongside the best can make you even better and on Saturday, Jersey Shore freshman Elizabeth Hollick experienced exactly that.

Hollick found herself on the podium twice on Saturday at Milton High School as part of the District 4 track and field championships in Class AAA competition and in the afternoon, qualified for the state meet.

Hollick ran a time of 45.24 seconds in the 300 hurdles event, just 0.13 seconds behind Phillips-Cobb who claimed a gold medal — her second of the day — to give Hollick a state-qualifying time to make it to next week’s state meet in Shippensburg.

“It’s really my biggest thing I wanted to do coming into this meet and knowing that I qualified for it before and I didn’t hit it the meet after pushed me knowing Aubrey is running those times and ran those times before,” Hollick said with a smile. “It just really pushed me to be up here with the juniors and seniors. It makes me feel great.”

The Jersey Shore girls Aaralynn Kimble (4th), Kathleen Loomis (6th) and Marlee Lehman (8th) on the podium after during the medal ceremony after the 400m dash during the District IV track & field championships at Milton High School Saturday afternoon. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Hollick competed earlier in the day in the 100 hurdles and finished with a bronze medal in 15.67. She was behind only Phillips-Cobb, who won gold with a time of 14.64, and Selinsgrove’s Mikayla Martin, who ran a 15.25.

“As a freshman it’s just really exciting knowing that I’m going to be up here for the next three years and excited for what the next couple of years will come,” Hollick said after taking bronze in the 100 hurdles in the morning. “I really was looking at a state-qualifying time, as a freshman I’m not going to be too mad about it that I didn’t make it because like I said there’s other years (to come), but I was really looking forward to that in whatever place I could get up there.

“That was a PR for me,” Hollick continued. “I’ve never broken 15 yet but now I have. Now that I know I can do that, it’s better for whatever else is to come.”

Hollick was Jersey Shore’s only state qualifier on either the girls or boys side to head to Shippensburg next week. And she’s excited to be headed there, and knows that she has outstanding competition she’ll be facing.

“Going to states, my expectations are knowing you’re going to compete with the best. Just the fact that I’m going is my biggest thing,” Hollick said. “I’m not too like caring about what will go on because it’s the best people in state going, but just to push myself and see what I can do there with more competition than I had here is great.”

Elizabeth Hollick of Jersey Shore crosses the finish line as she and her team compete in the 4x400m during the District IV track & field championships at Milton High School Saturday afternoon. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Her time in the 300 hurdles was also a PR by a couple milliseconds.

“Running a 45, 46 as a freshman and being a PR at the peak of the end of the year is just like the best thing to do,” Hollick said.

Hollick was one of a number of Bulldogs to reach the podium on Saturday. She also was a part of the Bulldogs’ 1,600 relay team which took home a silver medal in 4:07.10. She was part of that team with Kathleen Loomis, Marlee Lehman and Aaralynn Kimble. They trailed only a talented Selinsgrove team which won in 4:02.19.

“It’s such a special opportunity to be able to run with these girls,” Loomis said. “It’s like a brand-new year for us running this team together and to take second as a first-year team, it’s really special.”

As to what the relay team’s biggest strength is together?

“I would just say that we did have that chemistry from doing sports together. We all know our strengths and weaknesses and play to each other’s role on the team,” Loomis said.

“I think we really locked it down on what we need to do and just knowing the confidence of going out there and being able to win is really all that we really need,” Hollick said.

The competition running with Selinsgrove helped push the Bulldogs as well and they stayed on a good pace throughout the event. And Williamsport’s relay team as well pushed the Bulldogs as the Millionaire’s 1,600 relay team finished fourth in 4:10.15 and Midd-West took third in 4:08.21.

“I absolutely do think they pushed us. Seeing Selinsgrove knowing they’re a really, really good 4 by 4 team and strong with that really pushed us to get up there with them and try to stick with them,” Hollick said. “At the end of the day, whatever we can do to get up there (is great).”

The Bulldogs’ 400 relay team with Loomis, Vivian Hale, Lehman and Eliana Herr ran a 52.85 for seventh place.

In the discus, Alison Bilbay threw 103 feet, 11 inches to take third. She was just two inches behind Shamokin’s Brylee Kessler (104-1).

Kimble was a two-time medalist for Shore on Saturday. The Bulldog ran a time of 1:00.08 to take third in the 400, teammate Loomis finished sixth in 1:02.82 and Lehman took eighth in 1:03.25 as Jersey Shore was able to send three runners to the podium in the event.

Kimble finished with an eighth-place medal in the 100 as she finished in 13.15. Shikellamy’s Jilly Deivert ran a 12.31 to win gold and Athens’ Abby Burgess ran 12.40 for silver.

“I ran a little slower than I did on Thursday, but it’s fine because I broke 13 so I’m happy with that,” Kimble said of her PR in the 100. “It makes me appreciate my season more because I haven’t really PR’d this year yet, and especially with injuries, PR’ing is a good accomplishment for me.”

On the boys side, Kale Klinger of Jersey Shore finished in fifth place with a time of 52.16. Tevin Williams of Williamsport won the event in 49.16. He was the Bulldogs’ highest-placing boys finisher. Khani McCray jumped 20-7 3/4 to take sixth in the long jump and in the 1,600 relay, the Bulldogs’ Dekin McDermott, Kash Herritt, Carson Watkins and Klinger finished in 3:44.92 for an eighth-place medal.