Taylor Sperl’s speed is putting Baraboo history within reach
What makes Taylor Sperl stand out is not just how fast she is, but how quickly she has moved into rare company at Baraboo High School. The 3rd year Thunderbirds track athlete recently broke the school’s indoor record in the 400 meters at the Wisconsin State Indoor Track and Field Championships at UW-Whitewater on Saturday, April 4, against one of the state’s strongest fields.
That performance rewrote a mark that had stood for nearly a decade. The previous Baraboo indoor school record in the 400 was 1:05.27, set by Emily Kieck in 2015. Sperl attacked the race from the start, coming through the first 200 meters in 30.86 sec resulting in an amazing time of 1:03.76. Competing against the states strongest runners, Taylor placed 29th in a field of 49. Competing at that level and delivering a school-record run gave Baraboo another reason to celebrate a standout athlete who keeps raising the standard.
Sperl’s rise has been building for some time. Her all-time personal record came last year at Baraboo’s home Frosh-Soph Meet, where she ran 1:01.75 outdoors. That time ranks third on the school’s all-time fastest 400 list, trailing only Jamie Runnels’ 1:01.25 from 2019 and Kieck’s 1:01.36 from 2016. With those marks so close, the upcoming outdoor season gives Sperl a real chance to chase down another piece of program history.
Part of what makes Sperl such an easy athlete for the Thunderbirds community to rally around is that her success is rooted in a competitive drive that shows up in every season. She competes in cross country, basketball, and track and field, bringing the same determined mindset to each sport. That consistency says a lot about her character and leadership, especially for younger teammates watching what it takes to improve, compete, and perform on big stages.
For Baraboo, Sperl’s breakthrough is bigger than one race. It reflects the kind of athlete every program hopes to build around, someone talented enough to post elite times and steady enough to lift the group around her. Now, with an indoor school record already secured and the outdoor all-time list firmly in sight, Sperl heads into the spring with momentum, confidence, and a chance to make Thunderbirds history again.
