Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

SIDELINES

Triple jump an art form

By Travis Lazarczyk tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

BATH -- A lot of track and field events look easy. You run. You throw something. You jump over something else.

The triple jump isn't one of those events. Nothing about the triple jump looks easy. The triple jump is track's dance number, with a big finish. It doesn't even look easy when it's done by somebody who jumps it well.

"If your steps are on, you're going to do well," Skowhegan Area High School senior Garrett Nelson said, minutes after competing in the triple jump in Saturday's Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference meet.

Nelson placed third in the Class A triple jump with a jump of 41 feet, 9 inches, just behind Edward Little's Ricardo Hairston (41-9.5). McKenzie Gary of Mt. Ararat won the event by jumping 42-2.5 on his last try.

The triple jump is a sprint, followed by two short jumps -- hops, really -- followed by the final launch into the pit, legs and arms extended in front of the body. If it's done well, the final piece of the triple jump looks like the arms and legs are trying to escape from the torso.

"I push my belly button out as far as I can, then coil together," Nelson said.

First, though, you have to hit the board. "You almost run through the board," Nelson said. "Run through it like it almost wasn't there."

On his best jumps Saturday, Nelson hit the board perfectly, the toes of his right foot millimeters from going over the board for a foul. After that initial hop comes the skip, also off the right foot (or, if you went off the board with your left foot, your left). From the skip is the jump, off the left foot this time, launching for height and distance into the awaiting sand.

For Nelson, having each phase equal is the key. He clapped to demonstrate the rhythm he's looking for.

"You want this," Nelson said, CLAP CLAP CLAP. "Not this." CLAP clap CLAP.

Gary agrees, although that doesn't always make it so.

"My first phase is always too big," Gary said. "My second phase is puny."

It's a lot to think about as you're competing. Everything has to be precise. Prior to jumping, Nelson used a tape measure to make sure his route was perfect.

Nelson's best jump came on his fifth attempt, and exemplified one more important piece of this triple jump boogie. Fall forward. Nelson slipped coming out of his landing. He regained his balance quickly, but the move caused his right foot to slide back just enough to shave a few inches off his jump.

"If I hadn't fallen backwards, I would've been 42 (feet)," Nelson said.

In Nelson, we're seeing a strong high school triple jumping career wind down. He picked up the sport in eighth grade, and while Nelson has improved each year, he still has a ways to go.

"I didn't learn it overnight. I'm nowhere near perfect," Nelson said.

In Gary, we're just about to the halfway point. Gary also learned the triple jump in eighth grade, but only a sophomore, Gary has two years of competition ahead of him.

Last year at the KVAC meet, Gary jumped 38-4 and came in fifth place. His winning jump Saturday was almost 4 feet better. Gary did the math of a confident athlete and looked to the future.

"If I progress 2 feet every year, I'm at 46 feet when I'm a senior," Gary said.

The state record is 46-5, held by Scoot Sawyer of South Portland, and has stood since 1991. If Gary improves like he thinks he can, he'll shatter the KVAC record, 44-8.5, set in 1981 by Lawrence's Kevin Sawyer. If he changes his last name to Sawyer, all bets are off.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com