Our look back at the top stories of the year is sponsored by the Republic Mud Run, southwest Missouri’s only mud run that’s exclusively for youth! The first got Mud? Run will be held Saturday, August 29, at Brookline Park. It will feature three age divisions (5-7, 8-10, and 11-15), with age-appropriate obstacles for each. Get more information at RepublicMudRun.com, or get registered online right now.
#2: Jerney Jumps to Top of Podium
Jerney Jones has a good explanation for why he didn’t set his sights on a state long jump title before track season began: “I can’t say (a state championship) was my goal. It’s really my first year of doing long jump. I just wanted to do good and represent myself and the school well,” he says.
He ended up doing just fine.
Jones won the long jump competition in dominating fashion, turning in the two longest jumps of the day. How good was he?
- Two of his jumps (22′ 2.25″ and 22′ 1.5″) were good enough for 1st place.
- His third-best jump (21′ 8″) would have finished 3rd overall.
- His fourth-best jump (21′ 6.5″) would have finished 3rd overall.
- His fifth-best jump (21′ 3.75″) would have finished 5th overall and earned him a medal.
- His worst jump of the day was better than the best jump of 11 competitors.
Jones says he felt confident coming into the competition, knowing his previous jumps ranked him in the top five or six competitors. He came out of the gate quickly, going 21’8″ to put him in the lead from the start. His second jump (22′ 1.5″) ended up being his best of the preliminary round and was enough to win the championship, even though he didn’t know it yet. He scratched on his third jump, but held the lead going into the finals with eight other competitors.
Jones extended his lead on the first jump of the finals, turning in the best distance of the day (22′ 2.25″). At that point, Jones says he was just executing what he’d practiced since the start of the season.
“We’ve practiced long jump a lot, so it’s become muscle memory. I don’t really have to think about it. I just do it.”
You voted his winning performance in the long jump the #2 story of the year in Republic Tiger Sports. (And Jones played a big part in story #1, as well.)