WEST SUNBURY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The constant pounding of the triple jump took a toll on Rylee Long.
It started with an ache in her shins. Then intense pain. It hobbled her. Hindered her severely.
After winning the District 9 title in the triple jump as a sophomore, the jumper and sprinter on the Moniteau girls track and field team didn’t even qualify for the state meet last season as a junior.
Long decided to do something a bit radical.
She became a triple jumper who rarely jumped.
(Pictured above, Rylee Long)
“It probably sounds not the best and kind of opposite of what you should do, but I actually don’t practice because of my shin splints,” Long said. “They are really bad, so I don’t want to hurt them before a meet. I kind of take it really easy. I might do a few drills, but I rarely jump in practice. I just do better that way. It’s weird. I’ve probably jumped in practice twice the whole season.”
The unusual strategy has paid off in a big way for Long, especially late this season.
Long had hit a wall in the event, stuck on 34 feet, 11 inches. She was frequently jumping that distance — to her disappointment. That number was almost taunting her. She’d hit the sand, stand, dust herself off, listen to that number announced and shake her head and sneer.
Then she finally exploded through that barrier on Saturday at the Oil City Invitational.
Squaring off against some of the best jumpers in District 9 and District 10, Long hit 35 feet.
Then Laiyla Russell of Cranberry jumped 35-5.
The challenge was set for Long.
She met it.
In her final attempt, Long leapt 36-11½ to win the event and shatter the Moniteau school record of 36-¾ set by Gabby Stewart.
“I had never passed 35 before and I didn’t expect to jump any farther,” Long said. “And then I jumped 36-11½. I was so surprised.
“The first time I jumped 34-11 was in indoor and I broke the indoor record with that,” Long added. “I jumped 34-11 three more times and I didn’t think I could get past that. It was definitely frustrating.”
Long jumped 35-8½ on Tuesday at Karns City, reinforcing to her that she has hit on something big.
Setting the record was a goal Long strived to reach early on in her track and field career.
“Since I started, everyone was telling me that I was gonna break the record,” Long said. “I felt really pressured to break it.”
Long said getting pushed by Russell helped her on Saturday at Oil City. The two have developed a friendly rivalry and that event should be an interesting one to watch, both on Thursday at the Redbank Invitational, and again next week at Brookville at the District 9 championships.
“I think having competition really helps because that really pushes me,” Long said. “I know that if I’m up against somebody who jumps the same as me — I like having someone there because we’re in the same boat. We kind of push each other, even if we aren’t saying that. We’re both thinking it.”
While Long doesn’t jump at practice, she is still fine-tuning her skills.
She does triple jump drills that are low impact on her shins. She also practices some of her other events, such as the 4×100 relay.
That group of Long, Allie Pry, Jenna Zendron and Katelyn Reott broke the school record on Tuesday at Karns City, finishing in 52 seconds flat.
Last year, Long, Pry, Reott and foreign exchange student from Italy, Cami Passoni, broke the record at 52.8.
“I was really excited because we’ve been trying to break it all season,” Long said.
With two records in the last four days, Long is hoping to keep that momentum going as crunch time hits.
Nothing but big meets ahead.
“My two biggest goals for track in general since I started was to get the record and go to states,” Long said. “I went to states my sophomore year, but it wasn’t because I made the requirement. It was because I won districts. I want to make the requirement.”
Long doesn’t just want to qualify for the PIAA Track and Field Championships over Memorial Day weekend. She also wants to fare well there.
Her 36-11½ would have been good enough for sixth place in Class 2A last year.
Long feels a sense of urgency because her track and field career is likely to end this month.
Long plans on attending Penn State University to study nursing. No time for a track and field career there.
“Ever since I was 11 or 12 I’ve wanted to go into nursing,” Long said. “My grandma and aunt were both NICU nurses, so I heard a lot about that growing up and I just kind of thought it was interesting. I wanted to do that.”
Long, who was also on the Moniteau competitive spirit team before leaving that behind to focus on track and field full time, is determined to finish her last month strong.
“There is definitely some pressure because I definitely wanted to do all of these things by my senior year,” Long said. “I just didn’t know I was going to break a record this late, but at least I did it.”
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