5/22 update

Braves,

It is always about the journey, not the destination.

Going in to the state meet Coach Magalei and I scored the boys side of the meet to see how it was projected to play out, based on the seedings of each team and individual.  We were projected to get 30 points. That would be good enough for 8th place. We worked our entries to see where we could max our points out, with relays and other individual events and we figured we might be able to get over 40. We hoped that would put us in play for 2nd. Our boys ended up scoring 54 points- finishing in 3rd, 4 points out of 2nd. The team overachieved by 24 points. That really is an incredible feat; I've never seen anything like it. A combination of clutch performances and PRs got them that far, but in reality they earned that finish each day at practice. On the girls side we had some great performances, and that young team earned some valuable experience.

The boys had to massively overachieve to get where they were. For example, Tre improved by nearly 10 feet in the disc, and Nate improved by several feet as well to get 10 points where we were projected less than 5. On the girls side Lovely added a 5th place finish in the disc as well. All three of them are in the top-10 all-time at Bountiful High. It's not like they magically made those throws at state. Everyday I'd walk up to the track around 2:35 and they were already out at the discus ring getting ready to roll. You know who is least surprised by their results? Marv. He saw their work and knew what they could do; they earned it long before the state meet. Max threw a 2 feet PR in the shot to get 2nd when he was ranked around 8th. He came back to finish 3rd in the javelin, just ahead of his 4x100 teammate Noah, who was 4th. Max didn't just bomb a 52 foot throw at state because it was state. He was in the ring day after day working on that spin, throwing the shot out of our sector. Everyday on the field I had to be careful not to get speared by Max or Noah who spent countless hours with Dave throwing the jav. Without the time they put in all year these results don't happen. Lovely tossed a huge 2 foot PR in the shot put as well, and won the whole competition on her first throw. She could have left then and still won it. She is State Champ. She is a dedicated worker and is notorious for staying late to practice the shot put with her dad after everyone is long gone. In fact, when I first was started here at Bountiful, my wife and I came to the track last summer to get a look at the facility. Lovely was up there throwing the shot. I didn't know her at the time, but I knew that she was going to be special, if she was out perfecting her craft 11 months before the state championship. That sure paid off. Kristalynn finished 7th in the 100H after being ranked 9th headed in to finals. Afterwards she told me she also finished 7th as a sophomore. It would have been easy for her to have felt negatively about such a result, but she looked for the positive. What an awesome example of what this sport and team are about. She has worked so hard this year, and has been a model of coach-ability. Anytime I asked her to do something she was happy to do it. When I would give her instruction she was quick to follow it. Then there is Bridger who finished with a pair of 2nd places in the hurdles to get 16 points, while being a critical piece of the 4x100 making finals which was not projected to make it. And seriously, 2nd in the 110H!?!? I mean who first begins running the 110H as a senior and then finishes 2nd at state, .2s behind the winner, with the 4th fastest time ever at Bountiful High? And then in the 300H he goes from a 41 last year to a 38.58 this year, 2nd all-time at BHS. People don't just go from a 41 to a 38 that doesn't happen. Bridger put in work beginning during indoor last December to accomplish what he did. That is a testament to his athleticism, commitment, and hard work.  

Though we have a lot of seniors graduating, we have a very promising group returning next year. Our entire 4x100 graduates this year: Max, Bridger, Marsaylis, and Noah (Marsaylis also jumped and ran the medley). But every other member of the relays this year, both boys and girls, is back for next year. They all gained some valuable experience at the state meet. Our boys medley made it to finals, being carried by 2 sophomores, Dallin and Blake, who did the longest legs - not to discount Mars' and Kohle's (who is a jr.) contribution - they put the team in great position headed into the 400m leg. Our girls 4x100 of Maia, Julia, Rachel, and Jazmin made it to finals as well running a top ten time ever at BHS.

The point I hope is being expressed here is that our kids performed unbelievably well this past weekend, but it isn't the result that made this season, but the road we went down. No matter what place we finished, the season was a success because of the journey we took. We compete to be the best we can and we shoot for high goals in order to help us reach our potential, which inevitably takes us on another journey. I hope we always remember that it is about the journey, not the destination, and it is what we do on the journey that makes the destination worth it. To get 3rd for the boys shows how much work they have put in all year. I could not have asked for a better first year here at BHS. I'm going to miss those kids who graduate this year, and I'm so happy to have the rest of you returning for next year. We had fun this season. We have some great kids; not just as athletes but as people. It is you that makes my job so rewarding, so thank you for being you.

There is so much more to be said on the matter, but I will save that for our team BBQ and awards, which will be this Thursday after school at the amphitheater (behind the weight room).  We will be handing out lettering certificates as well as some team awards, so I hope everyone who was on the team makes it out. 

Now that track is over we turn our attention to the summer sports. My wife Caitlin and I will be the cross country coaches this summer and fall. We are extremely excited to coach this group, and the new kids coming up. We hope to have as many kids come out as possible. All of you who are on the track team now, and aren't doing football, soccer, or another school sport this summer/fall we want you to come out for cross country. We are going to have a fun year. You sprinters/hurdlers should come out as well, it will help give you a base for next track season. 

Our first meeting will be Thursday directly after the BBQ. The meeting will only be about 30 minutes. If there is enough interest we will also watch MacFarland USA after the meeting in the auditorium if possible, or in my classroom. The movie is legit. You'll love it. Invite your friends and everyone to come, it does not matter how fast of a runner they are. That's why we train, to get faster, not to show who is fast and who isn't.

Lastly, because XC (cross country- in case it was unclear) is a new season, I will start fresh with my email list. So if you or your child is interested in doing XC, please respond to this email indicating as much, so I can include you in next season's email group. I will send one more reminder out this week about the team BBQ to this group then I will start the next one. 

Thanks Braves.

Coach Jacobson

5/15 update

Braves,

What a week. Our boys came home with a region title and our girls finished 4th - both had some incredible performances and inspiring effort. After a recap - which will be incomplete because there is no way I can highlight each event - there will be some announcements concerning the upcoming week. 

I don't even know where to start. We knew going in that the Box Elder girls team would most likely win, they just have too deep of a team. We knew our boys would win if they performed like we knew they could. Our throwers had some big time performances, going 1, 2, 8 in the boys discus. Nate, Tre, and Garrison scored a 19 points in that event alone. Lovely had a 7 foot personal improvement to finish 2nd in the discus, after winning the shot put with a throw of 40 feet, while wearing converses. Max won the shot as well with a PR throw of 48 feet and Tre finished 4th. The Javelin was huge for the boys as they went 1, 4, 5, 6 - Max, Noah, Kohle, and Kekoa. Earlier in the day Kekoa asked me how far he would need to throw to score at Region. He through nearly 20 feet further than that. On the girls side McKenly qualified for state by finishing 4th and Danielle finished 6th. That is 30 points in one event. The work these javelin throwers have been putting in with Coach Munk has really been paying off. 

On the track side of things after the first day in the standings the boys were a little behind, but that quickly changed when Bridger ran the 4th fastest time in school history in the 110H with a time of 14.92, followed by Adam in 3rd and Ben in 5th. Kristalynn and Rachel finished 3rd and 4th in the 100H - scoring 31 points together. Our girls 4x100 had to have a 4th place finish or better in order to qualify for state, and they battled all the way to the line to secure the 4th place finish. It was the first of 3 relays they would qualify that day. AK, Mason, and Newbold went and scored some big points in the 400. AK jogged the final 70 meters hoping to save some energy for his 200 and still won, with Dallin and Kohle finishing 5th and 6th. Dallin and Kohle were only running the 400 for the 3rd or 4th time this year, and to finish the way they did, and they go back in the medley was super impressive. 

Bridger followed up his 110H win by running the 100m about 4 minutes later well enough to get on the podium, but he was clearly unsatisfied by the his time. He turned around and won the 300 hurdles by over a second, showing once again why he has the 2nd fastest time in the entire state of Utah. Jeremy ran a tough race to finish 4th and qualify for state, with Adam right behind in 5th. Rachel finished 3rd in the the 300H. Blake has now run his last 3 800m races finishing within half a second. That is not easy to do. He finished with a 2:00 flat once again, and is poised for an improvement. Track is so full of ups and downs that when you have consistency like that, you know you are set up for a big jump. He ran a tough race finishing just behind a field of seniors and juniors. That's going to be his field next year. 

It was around this time that things got crazy. Our girls medley needed a 4th place finish to make it to state. The teams in our region are very talented, so they had to run well to have a chance at making it. Kristalynn and Kamora ran the 200s well despite a shakey hand off, the Elizabeth ran the 400 with a personal best time. When Amelia got the baton to run the 800 she was in 5th place. It was her time to put the team on her back. She moved reeled in the 4th place girl after about 300m and then started gunning for the 2nd and 3rd place girls. With 200m to go she pulled up along side the 2nd and 3rd place girls. It was unbelievable how much ground she had made up. At that point she had gapped the girl in 5th by so far we were guaranteed a spot at state, but she continued to challenge until the line. Finishing in 4th place (less than 1 second from 2nd) and making it to state was HUGE for our team. And it only got better from there. The boys were in the same situation, needing a 4th place finish. Our 200 runners seriously got out and put us in great position. Newbold ran his season best 400 and handed off to Dallin in second place. Dallin was sort of caught in no man's land, 4 seconds behind the first place runner, and another 4 seconds in front of the next group. That is probably the toughest place to run an 800. He ran extremely tough - both he and Kohle just finished a tough 400 final beforehand - and finished 2nd, well ahead of the 3rd place runner. Those kids showed some serious desire to qualify for state in that race. 

At this point the boys had already clinched the region title, but that doesn't stop anyone who has worked as hard as they have. The boys 200m finshed with a 1, 2, 6. AK won it, Bridger came back in his 8th race in two days to edge a Box Elder kid at the line by .01. He was behind the whole race but his competitive edge kept him from pulling up, and his lean was the difference. 

With so many awesome races in one day, it is impossible to say one was the best, but the girls 4x400 may have defined the season up to this point. Again, they needed a 4th place finish to qualify for state, and there are some crazy relay teams in the region. I knew we had a shot, but it wouldn't take much for us to miss it considering the competition. Julia started it off and ran her best time of the year, finishing very strong. Victoria took the baton and the girls around her just took off on the turn. Coming off the turn she was in fifth. There is a point in most races where I decide I can't watch anymore because I am too nervous. I looked away and walked toward the finish line ready to get her split, mumbling under my breath, "let's go Vic, just get her (Amelia) in a good spot." By the time I looked up Victoria was in the midst of splitting 3 different girls and moving into first place. It was unbelievable and she just ran by these kids. Her run left me speechless as Amelia took the baton. Still in first off the turn, the girls behind her were closing fast. Amelia had just run her fastest 800m to date, and went staggering off the turf with fatigue. Most people sit back after that race and watch the 4x400 thinking to themselves how grateful they are to not have to run anymore, because they just ran an 800. Amelia is not most people. The girls were closing on her hoping to go around her before the turn, but Amelia held them off. I'm thinking to myself, I hope she can finish strong and keep us in good position. I was NOT expecting her to gap those girls and leave them behind, but that's exactly what she did. She turned on the burners and left 'em. I was left wide eyed looking around to see if anyone else was seeing what I was seeing. Rachel got the baton in first, Box Elder was in second, and their anchor leg is one of the best runners in the state, not just the region. Though Rachel had the lead, Box Elder's plan was to close the gap on the backside then make it a race for the final 200. Rachel came around the turn and I yelled to her that she was going to be challenged and that it was her time. Now if you have ever seen Rachel run, you may not think that she is also a graceful dancer, because of how aggressively she runs - it's a skill that cannot be taught, and the parity is a testament to her athleticism. As soon as I said that to her, she put her head down - which she does when she is ready to roll and it moves slightly back and forth because of how hard she is throwing her arms - and took off. Sure enough the Box Elder girl closed the gap, and they were side by side with 100m to go. Just as her teammates had before her, she left her behind.

That was a pretty special race. It was a pretty incredible day. Our multiple event winners included: AK, who won the 200, 400, and finished 5th in the 100. Tooley, who won the shot put and the javelin. And Bridger, who won the 110H, the 300H, finished 6th in the 100, and 2nd in the 200m. The 31 points he scored earned him MVP of the meet. 

As much as I would love to feel sentimental right now about the journey of this season, there is one more week to go. The state championships are on Friday and Saturday this week. There is also a jv region meet on Tuesday. If you are not qualified for state, please email me the events you would like to run on Tuesday. If you are qualified for the meet, you will need to talk to event coach to see if you should run anything on Tuesday. Most likely you will not, but there are a few relay runners who will be running Tuesday. This week is going to go fast, and the practices will be short, but crucial. Be there on time and ready to roll. 

Let's make this last week together a special one, and let's work hard. Remember to enjoy your teammates' company, because the season is over after this week. I'm proud of this group, not just for the finishes at region, but for the overall commitment and dedication shown. We've worked hard this season, let's make the last week the best one. 

Coach Jacobson

5/8 update

Braves,

Two weeks. That is all that is left in this season. I can't believe that we are already to region week. We had a meet at East on Thursday then we spent a couple days that felt like weeks at BYU.

Thursday was a good success for those who went and competed. We were able to see some pleasant surprises that will help us determine the region entries this upcoming week. It was nice to see so many out and running hard, particularly in the 400. On Friday down at BYU we had over 4 hours of lightening delays. It was brutal for our 110 hurdlers and 100m runners. Bridger and Adam went out there twice, after hours of delay, only to get called back in. Considering the challenges that come with warming up and re warming up several times, they performed very well. Max placed 3rd in the Jav with a throw of 191, Lovely was 5th in the shot, and Julia was 6th in the long jump. Rachel had a nice PR (she's 7th all time at BHS) despite running in the morning and hurdling with her off leg most of the way. Bridger had a PR in the 110H despite the delays. Losee had a very impressive PR in the discus with a throw of 139-02.75 (good for 7th all time). Blake ran an awesome 800 going 2 flat (11th all time) for the second week in a row, which shows great consistency (a key to success in track and field). Coach Munk stayed the night in provo and got to the stadium before 7 so that he could get us a good spot. They ended up misplacing our team packet so he couldn't get in, which was very frustrating, so when you see him be sure to thank him for being there to help us out to make sure we were in a good spot to support and compete. This meet is incredibly difficult to place in because of the sheer numbers of athletes and schools. They score across classifications which makes it even more difficult. This meet was very successful and showed that we can compete with the best. Headed into region we have some great things to look forward to. 

The region meet is on Wednesday and Thursday. These next two days will be very important as we tune up for region. There is a large number of athletes who are entered and who have a shot at making finals and scoring, who aren't necessarily favored to make finals. Prepare yourself mentally and physically to "over achieve" - so to speak - to help the team. The meet will be at WX and begins around 3. They limit our number of entries for the meet, so those of you who do not make it into the region meet this week will be entered into the JV region meet next week. There is at least one more meet for everyone. Let's make sure prepare this week to be ready for these last meets.

All team members have been invited to Mrs. Ludwig's room on Monday during lunch for a free lunch. Her room is on the 4th floor at the south end. I'm not exactly sure what will be served, but it's something the officers like to put on for teams headed into region championships. Come and hang out with some free food tomorrow. 

The Utah State Championships will be Friday and Saturday of next week. Everyone who hits the state qualifying standard or finishes in the top 4 of their event at the region championships this week, will be able to compete at the state meet. We will be finalizing entries tomorrow morning and will let you know what you will be running. We will need the relay alternates at the meet, even if they aren't entered in anything else. 

I tend to get sentimental at the end of the season as the seniors run their final high school races. This is a good opportunity for me to remember to enjoy the journey. This season has been a journey, mostly through the rain, and now the best two weeks of the year are upon us.

The time is now; take advantage of it.

Coach Jacobson

5/1

Braves,

Thank you to all of you who were there to help at the Junior High meet on Thursday. Those meets can be difficult but with your help it went pretty smoothly. The meet on Friday at Woods Cross was also very successful with several new state qualifying times. I would talk more about the meet at wx, but I wasn't there. We are in a very good position moving into the Championship season. This week coming up we have a meet at East on Thursday, then the BYU Invitational on Friday Saturday. BYU limits our entries so it will be a small group going there. It is all day both days, sort of a State preview. We will decide where to enter you and get back to you. The meet on Thursday is the last day to get a mark to compete at the Region Championships, which are NEXT WEEK. Can't believe how quickly the season has gone. 

With only a week until region and two until state, we have to make the most of this week. We have to take advantage of each day and make it productive and successful. This is the funnest time of year in my opinion. Let's enjoy this journey.

I sent the clothing order in. As previously said it will probably take a couple weeks to get it back - just like the last one. As soon as it is in I will let you know.

Lastly, I would have loved to have been at the meet on Friday, but we had some pressing family matters to attend. My wife Caitlin went into labor and delivered our son, Jack, who is doing great. He came out weighing 9 lbs 2 oz. Even though he is huge, Caitlin is doing great. She's up walking around doing stuff like nothing happened. I have to keep telling her to rest and relax (something my athletes probably haven't ever heard me say).

Thanks for all you do. Let's get some work done this week before Region.