Christal Mosley has already secured her place as one of the fastest high school sprinters in Kansas history.

Her personal best in the 200 meters, 24.79 seconds, ranks No. 17 all-time and she is tenths away from becoming the 19th girl in Kansas history to break 56 seconds in the 400.

So why does the Southeast junior’s name not reverberate in track and field circles around the state? Because success at the state meet has eluded Mosley, as injuries have derailed both of her seasons. It’s never mattered she has excelled on the summer circuit or that she ran fast times during the season — the state meet remains the only proving grounds many in the state notice.

She is a name on paper with fast times, but no defining race inside Cessna Stadium to prove it.

This notion is what devastates and motivates Mosley and could be the reason why she finally has that breakthrough performance at the state track meet next month.

“I feel like making it to state is one of the biggest goals I have and the fact that I haven’t accomplished it makes me feel like I’ve failed like multiple times,” Mosley said. “But I’ve been told that is not true. Things happen. I don’t know why these things have happened to me because it seems like every year it’s always something, but I’ve kept hope and I’ve kept my faith.”

‘I’m still not sure what happened’
The first significant injury in Mosley’s career was a hip flexor strain that held her out of the first seven weeks of her freshman season.

She made her debut less than one month from the state meet and proceeded to sweep the 200 and 400 races and post some of the fastest times in the state in the three meets leading up to the state meet, including breaking the Southeast record in the 400 in her first try.

Mosley looked the part in her preliminary races on Friday in Class 6A, running a 25.31 in the 200 and breaking the school record again in the 400 with a 56.90. But then the hip flexor injury began to flare up before her finals on Saturday.

Mosley finished third in the 400 in 57.74 and fourth in the 200 in 25.68.

“What a lot of people forget is that she wasn’t at her full potential,” Isaiah Mosley, her father, said. “She has a lot more to give and she can go a lot faster. She’s just never been able to show it or do it because she was never in shape for it because she has always started so late in the season.”

The second injury occurred during the 200 preliminaries at her state-qualifying meet last season. She was well on her way to qualifying for the finals when she felt a pop in her right hamstring with 30 meters remaining.

“I’m still not sure what happened, but I remember screaming and grabbing it,” Christal said. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Both Isaiah and Christal cried on the car ride home that day. They later discovered Christal had a Grade B tear in her hamstring, which forced her to sit out the entire summer from training and attend physical therapy for months.

The disappointment and frustration from that day are still raw, but it’s also why she has worked tirelessly with her father to come back stronger and faster.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the continuous support from my dad and all of my family,” Mosley said. “Their support has helped me become a better person and a better athlete.”

‘She doesn’t have a ceiling’
With long, skinny legs on a 5-foot-9 frame, Christal Mosley and her long strides are tailor-made for the 400.

But its her explosiveness that surprise many. They wonder how that much power can come from someone so skinny.

“I think a lot of people look at her and they don’t assume explosive movements are going to come out of that frame and they do,” Southeast coach Patric Jackson said. “So when she gets out of the blocks and takes those big, powerful strides, it does catch a lot of people off-guard.”

Mosley is finally having the (healthy) start to a season she’s always wanted. She currently has the fastest times in Kansas this season in the 200 (25.36) and the 400 (58.15) and will try to improve on those on Friday at the Pre-State Classic at Wichita State.

“I still expect more of myself, always,” Mosley said. “I believe I can do so much more than what I’m actually doing right now, but I just thank God right now that I’m healthy.”

Jackson is working with Mosley on a training plan that will improve her endurance and help her stay healthy throughout the season, so she can finally make that name for herself at the state meet.

“When she finally does get back to state, those people who may have forgotten about her or wrote her off are going to be really surprised to see her doing what she’s really good at,” Jackson said.

Mosley is ready to become more than a name on a list. She’s chasing gold medals and record times and she’s feeling as healthy as ever.

It’s hard not to imagine what might be possible this time in the Class 6A meet.

“Man, I’m probably would be in tears myself,” Isaiah said. “No doubt, I would be in tears.”