Imagine a baseball team that qualifies for the Spring Fling despite practicing each day without bats. Or a basketball team making the state tournament without having goals to shoot at during practice.
That’s a similar comparison to what East Hamilton sophomore Kira Wade pulled off this week when she qualified for next week’s state track meet in the high jump, despite the fact that the first-year school doesn’t have facilities for her to practice her event.
“It’s really pretty amazing when you think about it,” East Hamilton coach Ted Gatewood said. “Our track team worked out in the parking lot or in the gym all year since we don’t have a track yet. Basically all she could do was practice her steps and then kind of imagine in her mind how she would approach the bar.
“In every other sport — football, baseball, basketball — you see what’s coming at you, but the high jump is already an event that’s really tough to practice and be good at because you have your back to the bar and never see what you’re clearing. You’re looking up at the sky and it’s all just a feel you have to have to kind of wrap your body around the bar without touching it. It’s something you really do need a lot of practice at, but she never gets to do that.”
After opening last August, East Hamilton officials hope to have its football field completed in time for next season, but while there has been discussion of building a track to circle that field, there is no concrete funding plan for that project.
Wade has competed in the high jump since middle school, so she isn’t new to the event, but considering the only real practice she gets is by showing up to actual meets early and taking a few extra jumps, the fact that she finished second in the Class A/AA state qualifier is impressive. It certainly will make the fact that she is the school’s first and so-far only state qualifier more memorable.
“I was going up against about 15 other girls, so I didn’t think there was any way I would make it that far,” Wade said. “Then we got down to the final three and I was still there, and that’s when I realized I actually had a shot at making it.
“When I found out I had qualified for state, I just broke down crying. I couldn’t believe it.”
She actually tied for second before winning a jump-off by clearing 5 feet. Her personal best this year is 5-2, which is four inches higher than last year when she competed for Ooltewah and had access to a practice facility every day. Owls coach Benny Monroe has allowed Wade to come practice again on Ooltewah’s jumping mats as she prepared for the state qualifier.
“It’s very impressive as a coach to see the commitment she has to the event,” Gatewood said. “I like the fact that she’s not satisfied with just making it to the state meet but she’s determined to have a good showing over there.
“Even though she hasn’t been able to practice all year, she just seems to have a natural talent for the event. She’s athletic and obviously understands the concept of how to jump. I’m kind of anxious to see what she can do once we are able to work with her every day.”