Here is the preview story on Oak Hill's Samantha Massie in the girls Division III long jump. In today's (Thursday, June 4) Times-Journal. She jumps at 1 p.m. Friday along with the girl from Trimble.
Good luck Samantha as well as all the athletes at the state meet.
Massie makes ‘jump’ to state meet
Lady Oak competes in long jump on Friday
By PAUL BOGGS
Sports Editor
OAK HILL — Oak Hill’s Samantha Massie has made the jump — the long jump that is — all the way to the Division III state track and field meet.
Now, the junior long jumper will aim to leap her way into the finals of that event, when she participates in the state meet on Friday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
Massie is the lone Jackson County qualifier for this year’s state meet, and is among 16 competitors in the Division III girls long jump at 1 p.m.
The long jump is divided into two flights of eight competitors each, with the top nine distances from the preliminaries advancing to the finals.
The top eight placers in each event at the state meet earn all-Ohio honors, and gain a spot on the podium at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
She said that is her goal.
“My goal is to make it to finals, then we’ll see where it goes from there,†said Massie prior to her Wednesday practice. “I’m probably going to have to jump in the high 16s (feet) to make the finals. I feel good about my chances and I’m looking forward to it, but I am a little nervous. I just need to calm down and jump.â€
Which is what Massie does best.
She is the two-time Division III district champion in the event, and qualified for the state meet after placing second in Friday’s Region 11 meet at Fairfield Union.
On her final jump on Friday, and only a few minutes after her competition in the 100m dash finals, Massie leaped her best of six jumps on the day at 16 feet, three and three-quarter inches.
“I am glad I made it to state, but I can jump better than I did last week,†said admitted.
Furthermore, her regional runner-up jump was against an elevated pit.
She won the district meet with a 16-feet, seven-inch leap, although she said she has jumped 16-feet, 10 inches before.
The pits at Oak Hill, and at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, are less inclined than what she jumped in at Fairfield Union.
“Honestly, I think our pit here at Oak Hill goes down some, we just need to rake the sand up to the front of it,†said Oak Hill head coach Kristin Ruby. “Fairfield Union’s pit was elevated higher than the actual runway. So as far as measurements go, we can legitimately say that was probably about a 16-5 for her.â€
Speaking of the 16 feet and five inches, Ruby added “that is my goal for her in the first flight.â€
“If she can get 16-5, I think she is going to go on to the finals with no problem,†said the coach. “My personal goal for her is to see her on that podium. I think the top eight is attainable.
Based on the state qualifying distances, Massie stands tied for ninth with Miami East’s Katie Mengos.
Of the 16 state qualifiers, Haley Nofziger of Pettisville posts the top jump of 17 feet, two and one-quarter inches.
Taylor Beck of Arlington is an inch behind, and Ann-Marie Lindsay of Mansfield St. Peter’s is the only other competitor with a distance of at least 17 feet.
The remainder of the field is below that mark.
Each competitor is allowed three preliminary jumps, as each of the nine finalists receives three more.
But, all it takes is one.
Should Massie eclipse her personal best, and the competitors with greater distances not reach their regional marks, then she has a better shot at even winning the state championship.
“It’s amazing,†said Ruby. “Once you get up there, kids sometimes have their best marks ever and sometimes they simply fall apart. On any given day, you really don’t know what you’re going up against.â€
Ruby also mentioned Massie’s practice routine, which included workouts on Monday and Wednesday.
“Practice has gone really well, we’ve toned it down this week. She has a few shin splints in her jumping leg, so we’ve been trying to save and rest the legs,†said Ruby. “Once you get to this point, there’s nothing we can do that’s going to make her do any better. Our practice regimen this week is exactly what we plan to do on Friday. She comes in, does her warmup lap, stretches out real good, does a couple of sprints and then heads over to the long jump. By the time Friday gets here, it should be routine. Just a different track.â€
For most of her meets this season, Massie competed in the 100m dash sandwiched in between her jumps.
She finished fifth in that event at the regional meet, and is the actual alternate to the state meet.
The top four placers in each event at the regional meet advance to the state.
Because she didn’t qualify for the actual 100m state semifinals, she is forced to run practice sprints instead.
The sprint before the actual jump plays a large role in the event.
“The technique for a long jumper, being able to sprint is key,†said Ruby. “As we’ve seen in regionals, she is an excellent sprinter. You need to be able to build momentum down the runway so once you hit the board, it gives you more strength.â€
Massie also has experience in competing at the state level.
She qualified for the state middle school track meet in the long jump just three years ago.
“Samantha got there (state level) in junior high, and kept it together and did really well when a lot of the kids started panicking,†said Ruby. “Hopefully, Sam will do well again up there on Friday. This has been a goal of hers since she was an eighth grader.â€
As an eighth grader, Massie mustered a state runner-up finish.
This time, though, she is one of only three juniors in the event.
Seven of the 16 girls are seniors.
Massie will have another year to repeat a state berth, but just making the “jump†to that level is a feat in itself.
She is the first Jackson County state meet qualifier in two years, and the first Oak Hill state qualifier since a pair of Lady Oaks (Kayla Davis and Annah Ruff) three years ago.
This also marks the fifth year in the last six in which the county has advanced at least one athlete to the coveted state meet.
The last was Jackson junior Greg James, who finished fourth in the Division II boys discus throw.
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