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PAGE 4B
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011
UP AND AWAY
Jefferson freshman Mason Hamrick won the Class AA pole vault with a
vault of 13 feet Thursday. Photo by Ben Munro
Hamrick continued from page IB
“The past two weeks, I’ve put bars up
everyday,” Hamrick said. “And Gary
(Porter), my coach, told me that if I
can clear 13-00 on my first attempt,
I can most likely win it. That’s what
I was going for. But the first fault,
I nicked the bar, and it was all wig-
gly. It scared me a lot but I did it.”
Jefferson coach Tim Corbett said that
Hamrick’s accomplishment was all the
more impressive given all the expecta
tions that surrounded him. Corbett noted
that with results so widely-publicized
these days via the internet, everyone
in the state knew Hamrick’s ability.
“For him to come out and do it
when all the eyes were on him ...
it was really nice,” Corbett said.
When it became official, Hamrick
pumped his first and pointed to the
sky. Hamrick describes that poi
gnant moment that culminated
his standout freshman season.
“And when the last man scratched
the last time, it just all came out,”
Hamrick said. “I was like, ‘Yes.’
It was unreal. I got what I wanted,
and now it’s time to take a rest.”
And a well-deserved rest for this
vaulter, who followed up a state
title last year in middle school with
his first high school championship.
Hamrick will have surgery on his bro
ken foot, which he injured last year,
but is eager to get back to work.
He said his goal next year is to vault
14-06, “maybe more,” as he strives to
repeat as Class AA champion and con
tinue an impressive streak for Jefferson
in the pole vaulting department.
Hamrick’s victory in pole vault marks
the fifth-straight year that a Jefferson
vaulter has won state. Hamrick fol
lows current University of Tennessee
Tyler Porter, who won three consecutive
titles from 2008-2010. John Sharpton
won the title back in 2007. Jefferson
now won 18 state pole vaulting titles.
“It’s great,” said Cobett, who gives
a lot of credit to community coach
Gary Porter for his involvement
with pole vaulting. “It’s awesome. I
think it gives our kids an edge.”
State title aside, Hamrick just missed
another distinction Thursday. With the
pressure off after clinching the title,
Hamrick came up just short on a person
al-best attempt of 13-07 on his final vault.
But he wasn’t complaining. He had
already gotten what he came for.
“That’s kind of a disappointment I
didn’t get it, but I won and that’s all
that matters to me,” Hamrick said.
NOTES: Corbett said the 40 th Georgia
Olympics went off without a hitch. The
coach noted the good feedback Jefferson
- which hosts the meet annually -
received from coaches around the state.
“We got some really positive
comments after the meet,” Corbett
said. “It just makes a huge state
ment about our community.”
Corbett also praised student
involvement in this year’s event.
“This bunch was better than any
group in recent memory,” he said.
MOVING ON
East Jackson’s Parker Wilson has signed a college football scholarship
with Emory and Henry. Pictured are front row, L to R) Robin Wilson,
Parker Wilson, Martha Wilson (back row) EJCHS assistant princi
pal, Chanda Palmer, EJCHS assistant principal and athletic director,
Richard Crumley, EJCHS principal, Pat Stueck, coach David Darling,
vcoach Steve Collins and coach Randy Hill.
Wilson continued from page IB
Wilson plans to pursue a major Wilson becomes the third football
in both chemistry and biology while player in EJCH’s four-year history to
playing football. play at the collegiate level.
EJCHS continued from page IB
defensive coordinator, and
Joel Conway, from Jackson
County Comprehensive
High School, who will
coach the defensive line. A
couple other coaches were
scheduled to be approved
by the Jackson County
Board of Education this
week.
“The kids are responding
well, doing everything we
ask for” Smith said. “The
pace is different being no
huddle.”
Smith likes the no-huddle
for a number of reasons.
“I haven’t huddled since
1992,” he said. “It keeps
pressure on the defense all
the time and I can control
the tempo of the game as a
coach. It eliminates a lot of
problems you have.”
“I think they are excited
about it” Smith said of his
troops. “They’ve got to
learn a lot of signals on
both sides of the ball. I think
they’re getting it. They’re
excited, they just want to
play and they know they’ve
got to get behind the eight
ball to be successful.”
That involves learning
a number of hand signals
dictating the play, whether
it runs right or left, forma
tions, tags, protections and
routes.
Defensively, the Eagles
will work with three down
linemen, three linebackers
and five defensive backs.
Smith came to school
with no preconceptions
about personnel. When
practice started, he told his
players to “go where you
want to go,” and is adjust
ing personnel as practice
progresses.
“We’ve got somebody
everywhere right now” he
noted. “Everything is up for
grabs. We’re not going to
GOOD HANDS
Trip Cowart grabs a pass during Thursday’s prac
tice session. Photo by Mark Beardsley
name a starter at all right
now. We just want to get
kids in the right spot, kind
of put names in the posi
tions.
Smith said running back
C.J. Allen and linebacker
Caleb Hardy have emerged
as the “two most vocal
leaders.”
“We need them to lead us
every day the rest of spring
into the summer workouts,”
Smith commented.
Fall practice begins Aug.
2.
Charity Fundraiser for AMVETS Post 12 to support the Wounded
War Veterans programs and other Veterans Projects.
Cost: $20.00 per bike (includes t-shirt for first 100 registered)
Pre-Registration is available at www.amvetspostl2ga.com
Registration on the day of the ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at
Auburn City Hall
1369 4th Ave., Auburn, GA 30011
For more information or to become a sponsor, call:
678-227-0580 or visit www.amvetspostl2ga.com
2 nd Annual
Defenders of Freedom Ride
Sponsored by
AMVETS Post 12
Saturday
May 21, 2011
10:00 a.m.
Downtown Auburn
AMVETS