Kennedy Brown soaring to new heights
Wolves senior placed 1st in section triple jump
American Canyon High School senior Kennedy Brown has only been competing in the triple jump for just over a year, but she's already leaps and bounds above the competition.
Brown finished in first place at the Redwood Empire North Coast Section meet with a jump of 35 feet, -11.50 inches. The first-place finish means she'll compete Friday and Saturday at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions in Dublin.
It also means she is the TimesHerald Athlete of the Week.
Although Brown finished in first place, she wasn't sure if she captured the top spot until her last leap of the day.
“Before my last jump I was in second place,” Brown said. “I knew I needed a high 35-foot jump to get first place. My last jump was a little closer than I thought it was, but when I saw them put the tape on it I knew it was a little better and that I won. At that moment I felt a lot of relief.”
Brown says one of the biggest ways she's improved at the triple jump since first trying the event late in her junior year has come down to learning better technique.
“Technique and being more confident in my footing,” Brown said. “Not only confident in where my foot lands, but how it lands. I've kind of had to have phases in learning the technique and this year it's been about extending those phases.”
Brown also points to her support system, which she says lifted her over the weekend.
“It wasn't my best day of jumping, but my support system was there for me and that helped my vibe and my mental aspect,” Brown said. “My coaches were all there and my mom and my dad, my teammates and friends. My teammate John Quilon also helped me out by saying, “Let's do this, right here, right now.”
Brown gives extra thanks to her coaches Cliff Stroughter and Bruce Crowder for helping her become a better jumper. She also comes from a very athletic family — older sister Devanique Brown became the heptathlon winner of the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2019, while her father, Duke Brown, was the longtime head boys and girls basketball coach at Vallejo High before recently becoming the head basketball boys coach at Elite High.
“For the most part there is no family rivalry,” Kennedy Brown said. “Every once in a while I'll tell my little sister, `Oh I got this one' when competing against her, but that's about it. If anything we bring each other together.”
Honorable mention
Braxton Brown, Benicia softball. Brown had three hits in two losses, including a triple in a loss to College Park.
Saul Garcia, Bethel baseball. Garcia had a hit and two RBI for the Jaguars in their league championship loss to Salesian.
Jeffrey Holden, Vallejo boys track and field. Holden took first place in the 110 hurdles and third place in the 300 hurdles at the North Coast Section Bayshore Track and Field Championships.
Harrison Hubbard, Benicia High boys track and field. Hubbard qualified at the Diablo Valley League championships in the 400 and 800-meter dashes.
John Quilon, American Canyon boys track and field. Quilon took first place in the triple jump at the Redwood Empire North Coast Section meet.
Jasier Smith, Vallejo boys track and field. Smith took first place in the high jump at the North Coast Section Bayshore Track and Field Championships.