PENDLETON — Jasmin Stowers’ personality is not suited to handle all of this attention. But she’s working on it.

As the Pendleton star hurdler continues to bury the rest of the high school hurdlers — she won three more gold medals at the state meet — and become a more prominent name on the national track scene, she’s more popular every year.

“I’ve kind of got used to it a little bit,” said Stowers, a sophomore. “When people recognize me more and stuff, it’s awkward. ‘Jasmin, you’re so fast,’ and I’m like OK.”

“That’s just Jasmin,” Pendleton coach Calvin Moses said.

The Anderson Independent-Mail Track Athlete of the Year has won nine gold medals at the state track meet, including her 2006 state record time in the 100 hurdles of 13.90 seconds. Each year, though, the expectations around her seem to balloon as her name continues to be mentioned on larger scales.

It all makes one stop and think how far Stowers has come since she won her first state gold medal as a seventh grader with the best time of all classifications in the 100 hurdles at 14.68 seconds.

Those four years, Moses said with a snap of the fingers, have gone like that.

“It’s gone real fast, I didn’t even realize how four years have passed, because I’m just a sophomore,” Stowers said. “Seventh grade year I just ran one race, and now I’m running three, and I won three. Two more years and then college, so I’m trying to do my best so I can get to college, or even farther than that.”

There’s Stowers annual quest to win three golds and lower her own state record. There’s former Pendleton distance runner Joyce Peoples’ career mark of 14 gold medals. There’s the 2012 London Olympics. And in the meantime, she’ll sort through a stack of college scholarship offers from coast to coast.

Stowers seems to take all that in with her trademark laid-back demeanor.

Moses said he’s ready to support her when she’s making these impending decisions.

“The phone will start ringing pretty soon,” he said. “She’s going to get the attention, so my main thing is we’ve got to be ready to help her.”

While observers have only recently mentioned Stowers’ name with the Olympics, she said it’s been a dream since became a high school record holder.

“That’s been a goal for a long time, I want to be a professional one day,” she said. “I watch (the Olympics) every four years. It’s amazing people compete like that.”

Next month, she’ll compete in the Carribean Scholastic Invitational in Puerto Rico as one of two athletes from the state, and 28 from the country.

“I want to win, but my main focus is trying to (set a personal record in) my times, run a better time,” she said, which is at least 13.5 in the 100 hurdles.

Anderson Independent-Mail all-area track and field team

JASMIN STOWERS, PENDLETON SOPHOMORE, SPRINTER

The state’s best hurdler won three events at the state meet, and was the only girl to do that for the second straight year. She won the 100 hurdles (13.94), the 400 hurdles (105.74), and the 100 (12.21). Stowers also anchored the third-place 1,600 relay team in 4:15.73.

NISH DOTSON, D.W. DANIEL JUNIOR, SPRINTER

Dotson collected two photo-finish silver medals at the state meet, finishing behind the winner in both races in less than .09 of a second. She ran the 100 hurdles in 15.14 and the 400 hurdles in 1:04.92. Both are career bests and school records.

CHELSEA TAYLOR, SENECA JUNIOR, POLE VAULTER

Taylor defended her gold medal at the state meet with a vault of 11 feet, beating out second place by four feet, without any faults. Taylor was the only competitor to attempt 11-4. Last year, her winning mark was 10 feet.

MARSHARIO MORTON, DIXIE FRESHMAN, DISCUS

Morton defended her state title on her first throw at 109 feet, one inch. It was the second straight year she set a school record and personal best. Last year, she set a personal best (105-7) and beat her aunt’s school record in the same toss.

JERRY SAXON, PALMETTO SENIOR, DISCUS

Finished second at the state meet by just two inches with a throw of 146-feet-9inches, which dwarfed his qualifying throw of 128-03.

CARSON PORTER, PALMETTO JUNIOR, HIGH JUMP

Porter finished second in the state with a jump of 5-foot-2, missing first by three inches. She jumped a career best 5-6 at the Skyline region meet.

PENDLETON 3,200 BOYS RELAY TEAM

The Bulldogs achieved their highest goal in beating Bishop England for the state gold medal. Juniors Chris Dehondt and Kyle Nowlin gave way to seniors Chas Culberson and Kamran Saunders to stand atop the podium. They finished in 8:26.94, which also lowered their own school record by more than two seconds. Bishop England finished second in 8:33.41.

PALMETTO 3,200 GIRLS RELAY TEAM

The Lady Mustangs also had a goal of beating Bishop England, but had to settle for a state silver medal with a time of 10:19.86. Eighth grader Halie Whiten, freshmen Marlee Rhodes and Sierra Vargus, and junior Jillana Darby’s finish which was .01 off the school record time set last year.