We had our 2nd meet of the season on Saturday and I thought it went GREAT for the jumpers!
Last Saturday was a little nerve wracking for me because it was the first meet of the season and I was unsure the jumpers (triple jumpers especially) were ready. This week though, I felt very confident going in that they were ready and would perform well, and they didn't disappoint!
On the long jump side, all four jumpers did very well for themselves. Both boys set new personal bests which is all you can ask for as a coach! On the girls side, one of the two set a new personal best while the other jumped a personal best that was called a scratch. I know it can be extremely frustrating when an athlete scratches a "big one", but she simply needs to build upon her performance (the distance she jumped) and use it as momentum for the next time she jumps! I see the larger picture - I'm hoping she does as well!
On the triple jump side, all four jumpers also jumped VERY well! Of the two boys there was one new personal best set. The other jumper was only 4 inches from his personal best - and that is a HUGE win in my book! On the girls side, one of the two jumpers jumped from the wrong board and went 32' but was given a distance of 28' (since they had to measure from her correct board), and the other went nearly 28' on her first time ever triple jumping!!!
The girl that jumped from the wrong board is going to be a HUGE triple jumper. She just needs to understand how to attack the first phase a little more (see video above). Once she does I honestly feel like she could be in the 33-34 range as a Sophomore, and set herself up for some wonderful junior and senior years of competition!!! She could even surprise and do even more this season - only time will tell.
The other jumper that jumped for the first time did really well, and is someone I was very proud of after the meet. She has so little experience, and to jump nearly 28' doesn't sound like much, but I can promise you it was! She could have a very bright future at the triple jump pit as well!
What makes these two ladies even more exciting to me is that they are friends that play on the same volleyball team. They will push one another to be even better as time passes. That kind of comradery and support could lead to something great moving forward!!!
If you pull up the results from the meet you'll see that we didn't blow the doors off the meet/competition; but we did some great things that have some serious implications for the rest of the season. What I saw Saturday was extremely motivating!
As we continue to grow, these kids are going to do some great things this season!!!