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Imagine the leap to state champ
By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer DADE CITY -- This is it. This is the moment Keymo Pearson has trained four years for. The moment he has spent countless hours underneath the blazing late-afternoon sun at Pasco High School's W.F. Edwards Stadium for. The moment for which he has practiced all those speed, agility and jumping drills. Rehearsing his steps. Hitting the weights. Running those laps. The moment for which he has gone over in his mind, again and again, how he's going to fly with his back over that crossbar, his chin tucked in and his feet up high, as he gracefully lands onto the foam rubber pit. Then, he'll be on the medal stand, feeling the weight of the medallion around his neck, as the senior enjoys every minute of the last track meet of his high school career. "Yep, the last one, the last dance," he said. "I'm not nervous, I'm ready." But then, he's been there before. Today's Class 3A state track and field championships at Coral Springs High School's Jim Caldwell Field is Pearson's third state meet. One of the county's top athletes, he is a contender in the high jump and triple jump. The triple jump is a relatively new addition to his resume, while he has been a high jump specialist since his freshman year. He finished 11th in that event at the 2000 state meet, and last season tied for fourth to earn his first state medal, leaping 6 feet 3 inches. The triple jump finals start at 3 p.m.; the high jump finals at 5 p.m. Only Pearson isn't sure what his favorite jump is. "My goal now is, I'm trying to go all out in both," he sad. "Do I like the triple jump more? I don't know. I like them both neck-and-neck. I think I'm doing better in the triple jump, though, but I'm going to go all out and try to win both." His best high jump this season is 6-6; his best triple jump is 43-2. In the high jump, he'll be chasing Hamilton County High School's Terrance McClain, who enters with the best leap in the state, 7 feet. Pearson's main competition in the triple jump is Pasco High teammate Garion "Red" Pope, whose best jump is 45-61/2. Pirates track coach Raven Lewis said when Pearson is on, he's tough to beat. "I'm expecting him to place in the triple and the high jump," Lewis said. "The thing is, when he hits one (jump) really good, they're going to have to bring it to beat him at that point." Physically, the 6-foot-1 Pearson is a natural leaper. But Lewis said his success is more than just physical. "He has a lot of self-confidence, a great work ethic, and just a downright desire to be the best at what he does," Lewis said. "He doesn't settle for anything. He's always setting goals, and each meet is a new goal to get after." For Pearson, the goal is the perfect high jump, and that means memorizing every single step of the event. "Basically what I've got to do is just remember everything I have to do," he said. "Like when I approach the bar, I've got to get high enough and arch my back at the right time, I've got to tuck my chin in so my feet can fly over the bar, and I need speed. "That's what's going to take me to new heights." But in the end, Pearson said, after all the training and technique work is over with, winning comes down to just one thing: "Just doing it," he said. "Just execute and that's it. "Hopefully it'll be one of those days when I just feel like I can fly."
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From today's Pasco Times |
