DES MOINES - Sara Stoakes' hurdling experiment turned into her second Class 1A record-setting run in as many days Friday at the state track and field meet.

Stoakes captured the 400-meter hurdles championship in 1 minute 2.14 seconds, breaking a mark of 1:02.71 set by Alta's Deidre Hinkeldey in 2005. Stoakes' run tied for the 11th on the event's all-time charts and came one day removed from her Class 1A record-setting effort in the 400-meter dash at Drake's Jim Duncan Track.

"I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would and the record is something that maybe wasn't as prominent as the 400 yesterday," Stoakes said. "But I kept pushing for it. I thought I could do it.

"Coach (Kent Hanser) told me to go out and run on the edge, but run under control. That's what I did and I ended up breaking the record."

Prior to this season, the hurdles were uncharted territory for Stoakes who now owns four school records.

"One day when they were doing some hurdles drills out on the football field, I just kind of started jumping over them for fun," Stoakes recalls.

She originally received a mild scolding from Hanser who wanted to protect her from injury. But Stoakes was determined to try the hurdles in competition.

Hanser eventually gave her the green light.

"Once I told him I wanted to try it, it wasn't very long," Stoakes said. "If I tell him I want to try something, he'll let me do it as long as it's safe."

The state champion sprinter and cross country runner's combination of speed and endurance helped make for a smooth transition into the hurdles.

"The good thing about being both a sprinter and a distance runner is I've got the speed and the distance running helps with the stamina," Stoakes said. "That's how I can do a 400 hurdle race."

The North Tama standout now has 10 career state gold medals. She'll continue her quest to become the first female athlete to win four individual running events in a single state meet on Saturday with the 800 and 1,500-meter runs.

Council Bluffs St. Albert standout Abby Schlater owns Class 1A's top time of 4:44.62 in the 1,500. Stoakes' top mark entering the race is 4:57.19.

"Her time is really good," Stoakes said addressing Schlater. "I haven't run the 1,500 very much so I guess my times are kind of deceiving. "I think I can run faster, but its going to be great that she's going to be there to push me. … Hopefully we can work off one another and get some PR's."