The first track meet launched Commerce High School’s jumpers to realize their collective power. A quartet of athletes propelled the Tigers to four, top-five finishes at East Jackson Invitational last Saturday, where 11 area schools competed in one of the first track meets of the season.
Sophomore Lily Mather earned first place with her 5-foot-1-inch high jump, a personal best and three inches better than the field. Her classmate, Cameron Hawkins, notched fourth and fifth place finishes in the long jump (14-feet-3-inches) and triple jump (30-feet-1-1/2 inches).
Junior D Ramsey led the Commerce boys’ team, finishing first in the boys’ long jump (22-feet-3 inches) and fourth in the triple jump (41-feet, 8-inches).
And sophomore Jamir Walton captured second place in the triple jump (42-feet, 2-1/2 inches). His best jump matched the event winner, Parkview’s Keanu Mole. The jumpers’ second-best attempts broke the tie.
On Monday, the Commerce jumpers stood together, discussing form, team support and the ability of one another to leap forward for the Tigers.
“I didn’t really know how good we were until Saturday,” Walton said.
One of the reasons why they didn’t know any better relates to training. They’ve not had the chance to practice a lot of jumping other than during meets. The Commerce Middle School track and field facility was completed this year, leaving coaches to guide the athletes mainly on their form and steps. That approach is changing this year with coaches Pam Canup and Kendall Love now leading the track and field team at the CMS facility.
In Mather’s case, she pursues training outside of Commerce once a week as well. Her mind is set on a jump that could win a state title — and maybe a college scholarship.
Placing sixth in the high jump at the state finals last year, Mather on Saturday may’ve surprised herself since the meet’s overall winners on the girls’ side from Parkview exhibited intimidating strength.
“When I saw those girls, they looked so strong,” Mather said. She is aiming for a 5-foot-4 jump, which approaches the state’s best last year.
“That’s my goal,” Mather said.
While picking apart form is part of their approach to field events, the athletes admit natural talent plays a role, too. They pointed to the 5-foot-3 D Ramsey – also known as “Jumping Jack Splash” – as an example of pure Commerce talent.
“He just explodes,” Hawkins said, describing her teammate.
In addition to his placing in the jumping events, Ramsey was part of the 4-by-100-meter relay team that finished second (44.99) behind overall meet winner Parkview. The Commerce boys finished fourth behind Parkview, Loganville and Oglethorpe County.
“We’re a single A school. To go up against all these 4A and 5A schools is amazing,” Ramsey said.
Canup said the general coaching approach relates to the team peaking at the season’s end. Saturday provided the group a good measurement of strengths and areas of improvement.
Now it’s a matter of building a steady climb to the top.
“We keep trying to tell them these are practice meets to get in shape for the region,” Canup said. “We have some competitors here. They like the competition. They have to be ready.”
Commerce top 10 girls’ results: 100-meter hurdles, Zoey Forrester (18.9), ninth place; 4-by-100-meter relay, Cameron Hawkins, Chelsea Sutherland, Hannah Crumley, Jamie O’Hara (56.78), ninth place; 4-by-200 relay, Hannah Crumley, Jamie O’Hara, Jessica Parkerson an Kourtney Sutherland (2:08.18), eighth; high jump, Lily Mather (5-01), first; long jump, Cameron Hawkins (14-03), fourth; triple jump, Cameron Hawkins (30-01.5), fifth; Commerce finished ninth overall.
CHS top 10 boys’ results: 100-meter dash, Terrick Ramsey (11.6), fifth; 110-meter hurdles, Thomas Sweeney (18.01), sixth place; 4-by-100 relay, D Ramsey, Quay Little, Terrick Ramsey, Jamir Walton (44.99), second; high jump, Quay Little (5-02), tenth place; long jump, D Ramsey (22-03), first place, Terrick Ramsey (19-01), tenth; triple jump, Jamir Walton (42-02.5), second; D Ramsey (41.08), fourth; shot put, Micah Eason (45-05), third; Commerce finished fourth overall.
