Hamilton’s Ellis has hops, wins high jump at MoC
FRANKLIN TWP. » Jeremy Ellis has always had hops.
First it was on the basketball court and now in the high jump.
The Hamilton West senior put a cherry on top of his high school athletic career when he cleared 6-6 and won Meet of Champions gold on Saturday afternoon here at Franklin High.
“The key was to stay focus and control what I can control,” Ellis said. “I had to do my warm ups and be ready to go.”
Getting warm was actually a focal point on midJune afternoon with temperatures dipping below 70 and wicked wind whipping around the track.
Ellis actually nearly ran out of time before clearing the bar at 6-2 as he waited for the wind to die down.
“I could see (the wind) was affecting other guys,” Ellis said. “That's where the mental toughness comes in and doing what I had to do to control what I had to control.”
Ellis' final height of 6-6 was just off his personal best of 6-8, but coach Gerry van Slooten thinks he's only scratching the surface if he want to keep pursuing jumping.
“If he had two more years, he would just continue to get better,” van Slooten said. “From the beginning of the year, you set it out as a possibility, and for him to finish with it I think you finally start to believe. This could be the beginning for him if he decides to stick with it.”
Six jumpers all cleared 6-4, but Ellis was the only one to go over at 6-6.
Ellis only started the high jump as a junior and said he likes it equally as much as basketball. He's undecided on what he wants to do in college (maybe both) and is just soaking up this finish to his senior year.
“It feels good,” Ellis said. “After two years of working at practice, to come into my senior year and win Meet of Champs it feels really good. Jumping ability came naturally.”