Reigning state champions of the high jump in Class AA, both Miner and Truman successfully defended their titles Saturday at the state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston.
Truman won the girls high jump championship with a jump of 5-foot-2 while Miner cleared 6-foot-2 on the boys side.
Miner was candid about his expectation for the meet after winning with the exact same height he cleared a year ago.
“I wanted to go higher, I just didn’t get it,” Miner said. “I wanted to go 6-foot-8.”
With that, Miner still expected to win and refused to fold under pressure.
“I was more confident,” Miner said. “You always have pressure on you because you’re a state champion last year and you want to go win it again so you can be a two-time state champion. You don’t want to lose.”
Truman faced similar pressure, but still came out on top, just barely missing out on claiming a long jump title as well.
“I was a whole lot more nervous this year than I was last year,” Truman said. “There was some competition and I’m beyond blessed to have this title two years in a row. I’m very proud of how I did today. I only lost the long jump by half an inch.”
For Truman the victory capped a decorated career that occurred mostly by chance. A basketball junkie at heart, she picked up jumping as a way to improve her skills on the court.
She proved efficient enough in it that she signed her NLI to continue her career at the University of Charleston.
“I wouldn’t have believed you,” Truman smiled. “I really thought basketball was what I was going to go with but I’ve found a love for track and it doesn’t put a much stress on me. I feel like it would be more fun to do in college than basketball would.”
Much like Miner, Truman was hoping to go a little higher but kept the perspective that either way, her name is etched in state history.
“I really wish I would’ve jumped 5-foot-4 but I’m still blessed to have the title that I have,” Truman said. “That’s really amazing. I was really scared, actually. I was worried.”
