SIOUX FALLS — Going from second to first felt pretty good on Friday for Avon's Courtney Sees.
The sophomore’s leap of 16 feet, 10.75 inches was the exact same mark that earned her second place one year ago in Rapid City at the state meet, but this year at Howard Wood Field, that jump was over an inch farther than second-place finisher Carly Patrick from Alcester-Hudson and good for the Class B long jump state title.
The accomplishment left Sees full of joy, reaching the goal she's had since this time last year.
“I’m just really happy to be able to make this happen,” Sees said. “It’s always been a goal of mine because I got second last year, and I knew that the person that got first last year graduated, so I knew I had a chance and I’ve been set out to do this since the beginning of the year.”
Sees had a mid-season slowdown where she went more than a month without a long jump title and did not jump further than 16 feet, 5 inches. On May 13, everything changed for Sees as she had the boost of confidence she desperately needed. She also had another goal set of recording a jump of 17 feet and she eclipsed that with ease as she leaped 17 feet and 6 inches at a meet in Kimball.
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“Reaching that 17 (foot) mark that I set out for myself was big, because it showed me that I could always do it,” Sees said. “For a while, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I knew I was close at the beginning of the season, but I still hadn’t done it. Then once I actually did it, that really boosted my confidence.”
In her third year of running high school track, Sees has now earned her first state title, and while recording her three best jumps in the last four meets of the year, compiled with all the confidence she needs, Sees plans to be right back in this position in the years to come.
“I’m so happy I was able to do this,” Sees said. “I’ll be working hard next season to do it again and hopefully I can win some more state titles.”
Platte-Geddes' Regan Hoffman was a fourth-place finisher in the event at 16 feet, 3.5 inches, while Lyman's Skyler Volmer was seventh (15-9.25).
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