Call her Sierra, ‘CC’ or Firing Meet champ; Mifflin freshman answers to them all

Track & Field coverage presented by ATT Sports, Inc.

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

Everyone calls her CC. The nickname dates back to preschool when Sierra Hess had trouble pronouncing her name. For some reason, her abbreviated version stuck.

Now she hears it everywhere she goes. Sometimes it gets shortened even further. It’s just C.

Hess introduced herself to the Berks track and field community with a wowing performance at the William H. Firing Meet Saturday. Gov. Mifflin’s freshman swept the 200 and 400 while posting impressive times at Shillington.

“That was one of our goals for her,” Mifflin coach Peter Clark said of the two gold medals. “She was practicing really well. We knew she could do it if she put the races together right. But how she raced exceeded even our expectations.”

Hess finished the 400 in a blistering 57.70 to establish a Berks best.  Exeter’s Aiyana Rivera was second to Hess in the 400 at 58.05. Only 14 Pennsylvania runners had eclipsed 58 seconds before this weekend.

The ninth-grader said she likes to ask her rivals how old they are before settling into the blocks. It’s her way of taking inventory.

“The two girls in front of me were a senior and a junior,” Hess said. “I kind of just want to show them up. Not to be cocky. I just wanted to try and get my name out there and stuff. Tell them ‘not today.’ I didn’t want them to win.”

Hess’ breakout continued with the 200. She hit the line at 25.86, finishing ahead of Schuylkill Valley’s Madison Ziska at 26.13. 

Soccer is Hess’ No. 1 sport. She’s a center back who started for Mifflin in the fall and plays club while competing in track. The sprints are her way of staying in shape and scratching her competitive itch.

As Hess walked across the infield following her 400 win, she asked Clark if her time was a personal best. He laughed. It was 1.34 seconds ahead of Hess’ previous record.

“She doesn’t quite understand the level at which she’s performing,” Clark said. “It keeps her humble and keeps her focused. She wants to do her best and compete no matter what. She’s aware of it without it seeming like it’s too big for her.”

The girls sprints were a glimpse into the future. Wyomissing freshman Alexis Hardy won the 100 in 12.58. Hess placed third in that race at 12.77.

There’s no telling where Hess’ times can go from here. Clark said he won’t put a ceiling on what his rising star can achieve. Hess is improving at a rapid rate and is a District 3 Class 3A medal contender in the 200 and 400.

“CC comes in and she’s an athlete,” Clark said. “When you watch her race, she doesn’t like to be behind people. She just wants to compete. That’s one of her biggest strengths. That’s not something you coach. That’s something you have.”

Capturing two gold medals as a freshman is hard to top.

“It makes my whole year,” Hess said. “It makes me light up inside.”

Whether you call her Sierra or CC, Hess just made a name for herself.