As freshman Apria Smith approaches the line, she takes her three strides and jumps. Her body soars through the air, passing 10 feet, then 20, then 30, until her feet land at 39 feet and 7 inches. She rushes off the sand, anxious for the results. Before she can comprehend the news, everyone is on their feet cheering. Smith has broken the school record, finishing first in the region for triple jump.
Smith participates in multiple events within track and field, one of which is triple jump. This event consists of three consecutive jumps either left-left-right or right-right-left, starting between 24 to 40 feet from the sand, and aiming to land in the sand. World Athletics underlines the importance of speed, explosive power, strength and flexibility needed for the triple jump.
“My favorite way to describe triple jump is competitive hopscotch,” track and field coach Samuel Fitzhugh said.
Before last year, Smith had only one sport in mind: soccer. She never thought to try out for track until countless people noticed her speed and agility. Each of them encouraged her relentlessly to participate in track.
“I’d never done anything track-related before then,” Smith said. “It wasn’t what I pictured myself doing, yet I ended up exceeding my expectations and breaking the school record multiple times.”
Fitzhugh, who is the jumps coach for spring and winter track, helped Smith learn the basics of both the triple and high jump. Fitzhugh has been a supporter of Smith since she started participating in track, and has helped her improve.
“Apria improved a ton over the course of the year, about 7 feet in the triple jump, a foot and a half in the long jump, and four inches in the high jump from winter to spring,” Fitzhugh said.
According to MIT press, track is a mentally challenging sport in which players may face mental blocks. The athlete is constantly trying to improve and beat their past time, distance or height. While it is important for Smith to focus on her technique and coordination, the NCAA places emphasis on how it is also important that athletes like Smith continue to focus on their mental health to ensure they can achieve their goals.
“To guarantee that I am mentally prepared for meets, I make sure that I have a good amount of sleep the night before, and I have eaten a nutritious meal,” Smith said. “I also like to listen to music before meets to distract myself from the nerves. However, when I prepare at the start line, I find myself asking the question ‘How fast is everyone else?’ which is definitely something I need to work on not doing this year.”
Throughout the last track and field season, Smith set and broke multiple records in triple jump. This led to Smith winning regionals for triple jump and carrying the school’s name to states where she placed third.
“Considering I improved so much last season, my obvious goal is to break the school record yet again,” Smith said. “I also hope to make it to states again and possibly place for a second year.”
Smith has high expectations for herself, but also encourages her teammates to achieve their best.
“Every day at practice she makes me laugh, but when she needs to focus to do a drill or practice a new skill, she concentrates on the task at hand,” teammate and junior Neha Baskar said. “She’s a really good teammate because she’s fun to be around, but also motivates others to do their best.”
