This has been a heady week for Jennie Whitman.
The Neuqua Valley junior has fielded a steady stream of praise and congratulations since her landmark performance at last weekend’s girls Class AA track and field finals.
Whitman became the school’s first track and field state champion when she captured the Class AA triple jump in a personal best of 38 feet 7 1/4 inches on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
“It’s indescribable,” said Whitman. “You work hard all season for that one goal–winning that state title–and it happens.”
First-year Wildcat head coach Gretchen Parejko was just as thrilled.
“To think we have our first [champion] for the school is terrific,” Parejko said. “And that it’s Jennie is even more terrific. She’s such a well-balanced person, she’s involved in a lot of activities and she’s a great team member to everyone.
“It’s great to see that hard work pays off.”
Whitman qualified for the Class AA finals in three other events: high jump and two hurdles races. But she struggled through a cold, rainy and hectic preliminary round May 17 with some events seemingly running at the same time.
She was disqualified in one hurdles race and finished short of qualifying for the finals in the other two events. Fortunately, she had a triple jump that went 37 feet 9 3/4 inches, good for second in her flight, and earned advancement to the championship round.
Then the next day, everything came together.
“When I got to Saturday, I was only focusing on the triple jump,” said Whitman. “It was a lot easier to get my mind set. And with no rain, it was perfect weather.”
Whitman hit her record distance on the third try.
“It happened the same way last year too,” she said. “On my third jump of the state finals, you get that little extra adrenaline rush right before you go and it just happens.”
Now a three-time state qualifier, Whitman didn’t quite know what to make of state the first time around.
“Freshman year I went down not even knowing what a state meet was,” Whitman said. “I didn’t know what it meant to go down and I got 16th place. By sophomore year, I knew what the whole story was. I made it to the finals and got fifth place.”
Whitman’s training for the 2002 outdoor season began in the winter.
“I went out for the basketball team but it didn’t make it, so I started running in a winter conditioning program,” she said. “I think it paid off a lot because I was more in shape entering the season.”
Parejko agreed.
“From day one she came in strong,” said Parejko. “She did a lot of preconditioning work in the weight room with her jump coach, Wayne Hartmann, who has been so influential for Jenny. [Teammates] see how hard she works. She works hard in every single practice … and her commitment is unchallenged.”
Whitman plans to play softball and participate in track competition this summer. By fall she’ll start to think about college choices as well as the run-up to her final track season in the spring.
“She’s very bright and I’m sure she wants to go to college,” said Parejko. “We’ll try to get her ready for whatever she wants to do [after] high school.”
