Jenn Hayes, Ridgewood's career scoring leader, is too focused on her final meet to think about her legacy.
By JAMAL THALJI
Published May 16, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - What is Jenn Hayes' legacy?
Is it her 938 career points, making her Ridgewood's all-time scoring leader? Is it the three Sunshine Athletic Conference titles and four consecutive district titles the four-year varsity performer led the team to? Is it the back-to-back SAC athlete of the year honors she earned?
"She's the backbone of the program," coach Sue Vien said.
Hayes, though, isn't one to dwell on her history. She has no use for sentimentality or introspection. It is her tough-minded, tenacious, competitive nature that is her real legacy.
Take her last high school meet, today's Class 3A state championships at Percy Beard Stadium in Gainesville, as an example.
Nothing matters save her last events, the 100-meter high hurdles and triple jump. Nothing concerns her except the asthmatic bronchitis she coughed her way through to a third-place finish in the triple jump at last week's region meet. Or the left knee she bruised and cut en route to the region hurdles title.
Ridgewood is the county's most storied track program, and Hayes will graduate as one of its most decorated athletes.
As if any of that matters to her right now.
"I don't think of stuff like that," she said. "You guys think I have all these goals I think about. I just try to do the best I can. I just try to get first place."
She's tough that way. Last week's region meet, where she competed in five events after illness kept her out of school for three days, showed just how tough. "I didn't do my worst," Hayes said, "but I felt the worst."
"She was dead after the long jump," Vien said, "struggled through the triple jump, and held on to a first-place finish during her prelims in the first 100. But afterward it was like she couldn't breathe.
"I knew what she was thinking: "How am I going to anchor the 4x400?' "
It was nothing a short rest inside a cool ambulance couldn't fix, an oxygen mask over her mouth. Vien did her part, holding the ill Hayes out of the 4x100 preliminaries and that night's 4x400.
"It was like someone lifted this weight off her shoulders," the coach said. "She can handle that 100 one more time, but she couldn't do two 4x100s and a 4x400. There was no way."
Hayes' relief didn't last long. She soon found herself in the toughest hurdles race of her career.
Seconds after the gun sounded, for the first time in four years Vien watched Hayes' trail leg, her left one, knock over a hurdle.
"She's never tripped or fallen, never hit a hurdle," Vien said. "But she hit the hurdle and she almost buckled. Two girls came up right alongside her.
"She struggled to hurdle five and had to catch up at seven and was even by eight. Then she beat them. Anyone else would have said, "I'll take third, I feel (awful), my knee is hurt.' "
Anyone but Hayes.
"I think I was just trying to go so fast that I didn't take the time to lift my trail leg up and over and that kind of hurt me," Hayes said. "Good thing everybody else hit a hurdle, too."
That explains how she caught up to the pack. But why did she? She was sick. She couldn't breathe. Then she busted her knee on the track. If she gave up right there, who would have blamed her?
Well, for starters, she would have.
"I don't like to lose," she said. "I went there to win and even though I was sick I was still out to win."
Now comes state. Hayes' best finish is eighth in the 100 hurdles in 2001, her sophomore year. To place higher, she must break 15 seconds (15.09 is her personal best) for the first time. The school triple jump record also is attainable; her best is 37 feet, 4 inches, the school record 37-71/2.
But state isn't the ideal forum for athletes to do their best. The season is long, injuries mount and the pressure is greater.
"I don't worry about it," Hayes said. "I'm going to do my best, because I'll have the competition, and the adrenalin will be pumping. I'll do my best."
Regardless, her career will end after today. Surely after four years and countless ribbons, there is something Hayes wants to be remembered for?
"I don't know," she said. "I'm not good at answering questions like that."
