Jeremy Hayton soars to 3rd place in DII State High Jump
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
COLUMBUS — One year following changing aspects of his diet and training, Hillsboro senior Jeremy Hayton reached the pinnacle of the spring sports season with a third-place finish in the Division II State High Jump event, Saturday.
At Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, located on the campus of The Ohio State University, Hayton finished with a third-place height of 6-05, better than his regional height of a week ago in Athens, which was 6-04.
Earlier this season, Hayton had a height of 6-06, and during the winter at the State Indoor Track Championships he won the title with a height of 6-09, helping him eventually earn a scholarship to compete for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats starting this fall.
On Saturday in the state high jump event, Hayton’s first jump went for a height of 6-00, followed by heights of 6-02, 6-03, 6-04 and the final completed height of 6-05. He tried on three occasions for the 6-06 height but was just a bit off on the attempts.
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In all, Hayton said he was proud of his season and his effort at state this weekend.
“Today’s been pretty calm, honestly. It seems like every other meet, really,” Hayton said of jumping at state on Saturday. “I wasn’t freaking out too much. I just came out and jumped. Obviously it wasn’t what I wanted, but the other two competitors did really well. It’s nothing to be disappointed about. I didn’t even make it to state last year, and I won state indoor and then come out here and get third.
“It was pretty good. It was a good feeling because you put in all that hard work and finally make it on the big stage and get third. That’s not bad.
“One day I flipped a switch in my head … it went off and I decided to try harder, keep going and eat healthier. Ever since that day, everything in my life’s been better, but at the time, I believed in myself, but it was hard to see all this actually happening. Now that it has, I’m so glad it did.”
As for his path this season to the Division II state championships, besides the aforementioned regional finish, he jumped 6-04 at districts, and at the South Central Ohio League Championships, his first-place jump was also 6-04.
HHS boys head coach Bud Marsh also spoke highly of Hayton for the hard work and effort he showed during the past year to reach state.
“I’m really proud of him. I was really pleased with where he was. Yesterday was a long day for him. I was really concerned with what effect it had on him, but he was on. Going in the 6-6, he had no misses and everybody else had. The two guys that finished ahead of him looked like they were struggling, but you have it to hand it to them,” Marsh said. “It was just one of those days. His last jump was a good one. He was on. I was so proud of him. He’s risen to the occasion.
“Just what he’s done in the last year, he has so much natural ability. To escalate that, he’s worked so hard to make himself even better than that. When he gets to college, they’ll be focused on more than just jumping. Even today, he was a little off on some things, but he’s still jumping great. He was a little bit far out even on that last one, and that has a lot to do with being so far out, you really almost can’t get that full arch because he’d be knocking it off on his way up.
“He was more or less kind of flat-backing it there. But he was getting up, and I’m really proud of him and what he’s done this year and what he’s done for the program.”
Hayton closed by giving a shout out to teammate Austin Goolsby for winning state on Friday in the pole vault event, and saying thanks to those who have helped him along the way.
“I am incredibly happy for my dude Austin. I’m so glad he finally won. At indoor, he could have won but he didn’t bring it together, so I’m so glad he finally got a state championship. That’s awesome. He needed that. That’ll take him even further next year,” Hayton said. “I’d also like to thank my coach, for being there and believing in me, and my parents. They always took me everywhere, all the gas money, all the shirts they bought, so I’m really thankful for them.”
At Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, located on the campus of The Ohio State University, Hayton finished with a third-place height of 6-05, better than his regional height of a week ago in Athens, which was 6-04.
Earlier this season, Hayton had a height of 6-06, and during the winter at the State Indoor Track Championships he won the title with a height of 6-09, helping him eventually earn a scholarship to compete for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats starting this fall.
On Saturday in the state high jump event, Hayton’s first jump went for a height of 6-00, followed by heights of 6-02, 6-03, 6-04 and the final completed height of 6-05. He tried on three occasions for the 6-06 height but was just a bit off on the attempts.
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In all, Hayton said he was proud of his season and his effort at state this weekend.
“Today’s been pretty calm, honestly. It seems like every other meet, really,” Hayton said of jumping at state on Saturday. “I wasn’t freaking out too much. I just came out and jumped. Obviously it wasn’t what I wanted, but the other two competitors did really well. It’s nothing to be disappointed about. I didn’t even make it to state last year, and I won state indoor and then come out here and get third.
“It was pretty good. It was a good feeling because you put in all that hard work and finally make it on the big stage and get third. That’s not bad.
“One day I flipped a switch in my head … it went off and I decided to try harder, keep going and eat healthier. Ever since that day, everything in my life’s been better, but at the time, I believed in myself, but it was hard to see all this actually happening. Now that it has, I’m so glad it did.”
As for his path this season to the Division II state championships, besides the aforementioned regional finish, he jumped 6-04 at districts, and at the South Central Ohio League Championships, his first-place jump was also 6-04.
HHS boys head coach Bud Marsh also spoke highly of Hayton for the hard work and effort he showed during the past year to reach state.
“I’m really proud of him. I was really pleased with where he was. Yesterday was a long day for him. I was really concerned with what effect it had on him, but he was on. Going in the 6-6, he had no misses and everybody else had. The two guys that finished ahead of him looked like they were struggling, but you have it to hand it to them,” Marsh said. “It was just one of those days. His last jump was a good one. He was on. I was so proud of him. He’s risen to the occasion.
“Just what he’s done in the last year, he has so much natural ability. To escalate that, he’s worked so hard to make himself even better than that. When he gets to college, they’ll be focused on more than just jumping. Even today, he was a little off on some things, but he’s still jumping great. He was a little bit far out even on that last one, and that has a lot to do with being so far out, you really almost can’t get that full arch because he’d be knocking it off on his way up.
“He was more or less kind of flat-backing it there. But he was getting up, and I’m really proud of him and what he’s done this year and what he’s done for the program.”
Hayton closed by giving a shout out to teammate Austin Goolsby for winning state on Friday in the pole vault event, and saying thanks to those who have helped him along the way.
“I am incredibly happy for my dude Austin. I’m so glad he finally won. At indoor, he could have won but he didn’t bring it together, so I’m so glad he finally got a state championship. That’s awesome. He needed that. That’ll take him even further next year,” Hayton said. “I’d also like to thank my coach, for being there and believing in me, and my parents. They always took me everywhere, all the gas money, all the shirts they bought, so I’m really thankful for them.”