I just wanted to thank everyone of you guys on the jumps squad for being such great guys. I have been so busy working lately I haven't been able to have any contact with you guys so I figured I better update you on what has happened the past month around here. SUU offered me half tuition to come down and jump for them. It wasn't an athletic scholarship but rather Academic. I got pretty excited about that and was all set to move down there in about a month. Then one day my Dad called the UVSC coach to see what kind of a chance I would have. The coach after hearing my PR got excited because their star high jumper Rich Larsen(jumped 7'1/4" his senior year at Lone Peak) was leaving on an LDS mission. So after hearing about my relatively short time in the sport and quick improvement he asked us to hold off on calling SUU and give him a chance to match their offer. Well, he did better, I now have a full tuition scholarship(half Athletic and half Academic) to UVSC!!! Its is nice cause I will be able to live at home or at my Grandmas house (which is almost on the campus) for the year and save money for my LDS mission I will serve next year! Everything worked out great! I am excited about their program too for this reason. Dave Hoffman came into their program with a PR of around 6'8", now after two years there(where he set the school record of 7'1/4") and 2 years at USU he recently jumped 7'6.5" to take 2nd in the nation!! You may be wondering why I am telling you all of this. Well, think of it this way, I tryed out for the Tennis Team this year and barely missed making it cause I was a senior. So I just decided to come do track for something to do after school. My first meet I jumped 5'4". I had no desire to achieve! Then after I jumped 5'10" at the Davis Supermeet, I got a little more desire. Then one day in practice I jumped 5'10" three times in a row! The next day I jumped 6'2"! My desire was greater than ever. Then regions, i was sick as a dog and only got 5'8". My desire to win and improve dropped to almost nothing. For a month after that I kept telling myself to stick with it and keep working at it. So I came back to PR again by 4" and jump 6'6", now my schooling is free, I get to compete in college and I have a greater desire than ever!!! This is for all of you guys, you have tons more desire than me! Just work hard both on the track and in school and believe you can do anything! I remember putting the bar to 6' last year and thinking, "How could anyone ever jump over that!" now thats my starting height! I doesn't matter if your goal is 14' or 22' in long jump or 5' or 7' in the high jump, work hard and you will go way higher or farther than that! No one really knows this but before every jump at the summer games, the reason I took so long, is that I told myself "YOU GOT THIS!!!" nearly 20 times before every jump as I visualized jumping the perfect jump. Right as I took that first step I nearly yelled it inside of my mind and as I jumped I KNEW I WAS GOING TO CLEAR IT!!! Even at 6'6" which blows my mind because it seemed soooooo high just minutes before!. Thanks again to Van!!!(bigtime thanks!), Bryan (and his parents for the comfy room in Cedar City), Peng (your sweater goes on the top), Chris(ladies love him, still tryin to figure out why! j/k) Michelle(my little sister Laurel thinks your awsome), Alexis(bend your arms when you high jump for Pete's sake! j/k, 5'4" next year!) and everyone else who has cheered for me even if its just once. Best of luck with the indoor season! Gregg P.S.-I expect every one of you to be competing in college! Doesn't matter if its UCLA or Eastern Utah, set a goal and do it! |
A Testament of Hard Work |