SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Baylee Blauser limped away from the long jump pit at Seth Grove Stadium 364 days ago.
Crestfallen. Disheartened. Profoundly disappointed.
A swollen and painful left ankle sapped her explosion. The serious sprain sabotaged any chance the then A-C Valley junior had at winning a gold medal at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.
She didn’t even place.
As she hobbled away, Blauser set a goal. To return 364 days later to that stadium and that jumping pit at Shippensburg University healthy and strong and to win a state title.
Saying it is one thing. Doing it is quite the other.
Blauser remained stedfast and determined. She rehabilitated the ravaged ankle that should have kept her from competing at all at the state meet and made it stronger — made herself stronger.
She went out and broke her own school record in the long jump this season.
Then again.
And again.
Here she was Friday afternoon — in that same stadium and at that same jumping pit — 364 days later, focused.
Here she was, 364 days later, now a state champion.
Blauser, a Union/A-C Valley senior, jumped 18 feet, 6 ¾ inches on her first attempt of the day, tying her own school record. That distance stood.
“It feels amazing,” Blauser said, a smile wide and beaming. “I’ve been working for this for a long time, since my freshman year when I came here and placed (eighth) and felt like I could do it. Ever since then I’ve been practicing and it finally paid off. I’m so happy.”
Blauser sweated it out for awhile as two other jumpers, Devin Hubler of Minersville Area, and Madison Ziska of Schuylkill Valley, threatened.
On the very next jump after Blauser’s 18-6¾, Hubler hit 18-4. She later hit 18-4¾ to place second.
Ziska jumped 18-2 on her last attempt to place third.
Hubler had one more chance to beat Blauser, but faulted on her final jump.
As Blauser was about to take her last sprint down the runway for the final attempt in the long jump in her high school career, she paused and smiled.
She knew the state title was hers — even though it took awhile to sink in.
“I got really nervous when it came down to the two girls before me,” Blauser said. “I knew they had a chance. I’m so happy right now. I’m No. 1. Wow! No. 1.”
Blauser’s final jump came in at 18-4¾, which also would have been good enough to win.
Her goal was to break her school record. She tied it.
She said she knew if she could reach her own school mark, she’d have a good shot at being atop the podium. Blauser was correct.
Blauser has been good all season at hitting a big jump early. She did so last Friday at the District 9 meet to win that title with a 17-10 on her first attempt.
“I like getting the big jumps early,” Blauser said. “Toward the end, I can really feel it in my legs. I was happy. I was just happy I jumped my record today. I’m even more happy because I won first place.”
It sinks in again and another grin creases her face.
“First place,” she repeats, eyes widening, head shaking. “First place.”
Blauser has another chance at a state title Saturday in the triple jump, where she has the top leap in Pennsylvania at 37-6.
Her goal there is the same as the long jump: break her own record and likely cash in another gold.
“I was nervous for this today and I knew if I got an 18-foot jump, I’d be OK — mentally OK,” Blauser said. “Once I got my first one, I was fine and that’s how it’ll be (Saturday in the triple jump). As long as I break my record, I can be OK and just say, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’”
Blauser’s smile widens again.
“I’ll be happy,” she said, “no matter what happens because, first in the state. I still can’t believe it.”
BLISS SECOND IN THE JAVELIN
Evie Bliss’ first javelin throw Friday was 67 feet.
Yes, 67 feet.
It forced the Union/A-C Valley junior to make some quick adjustments.
She shortened her approach and let her strong arm do the work.
And it did.
Bliss squeaked into the finals with a throw of 119 feet, then uncorked a career-best heave of 140-11 to move all the way from ninth to second place when it was all said and done.
A silver medal she never thought she would get.
“I went back to basics,” Bliss said. “I knew I could muscle it if I let the technique do its work. I had to get out of my own head. I had to calm down because I was psyched out after that first throw.”
Bliss said she had no idea her 140-foot throw went that far.
She was too busy trying not to faint.
“I let it go and I got real dizzy and everything hurt,” Bliss said, chuckling. “I regained my balance, and when I walked out to get (the javelin), it was way farther than any of my other throws were before.”
Bliss’ rise in the javelin has been remarkable.
Last year, Bliss was 10th — in District 9.
This year she is second in the entire state.
“It’s almost like coming back from being lapped (in the pool),” said Bliss, who won a pair of District 9 titles this winter as a swimmer.
It was a big day for Union/A-C Valley. In addition to Blauser’s gold, Hayden Smith won the state title in the high jump on the boys side.
“We’re small but mighty,” Bliss said, laughing.
