Senior Isaiah Valentine of Ankeny Centennial and junior Jamison Patton of Ankeny have both qualified for the state track meet in the jumping events.
Valentine placed second in the long jump on Thursday in a state qualifying meet at Fort Dodge. He recorded a personal best of 22 feet 1.5 inches.
Patton, meanwhile, took second in the high jump at Johnston with a leap of 6-5. He also qualified for state in the distance medley relay, helping the Hawks to a third-place finish in that event.
Here is some inside info on the duo:
How were you able to deal with the brutal conditions on Thursday? Has it been more difficult to adjust to the hot temperatures after having cold, rainy and windy weather for most of the spring?
Patton: The weather has been terrible so the little heat wave was nice for a little heat up!
Valentine: The weather was bad, but I was also used to it because it was like that all week. It was hard the first two days because when you are used to 50-60 degree temperatures it kind of hits you.
Isaiah, you competed on Thursday against Abu Sama of Southeast Polk, the Drake Relays champion who edged you by 1 1/2 inches for the victory. Do you think having him in the field helped you?
Valentine: Nah, having him there didn’t change a thing. I was just doing my thing, but you know it was great competing against him for sure.
When you surpassed the 22-foot mark for the first time, did you know right away that you had hit a big jump?
Valentine: It really felt like a normal jump to me.
Jamison, you lost to Isaiah Roundtree of Des Moines Roosevelt, your former teammate, based on fewer misses. Did you guys enjoy competing against each other?
Patton: It was great competing against an old teammate of mine. I would have been happy no matter the outcome. I have nothing but love for everyone at Roosevelt.
What is your goal for the state meet? Do you feel like you can contend for a medal or perhaps even the state title?
Patton: I think I have a chance of winning–that’s the goal of course. I haven’t been doing this long so I’m just having fun with it! My goal is just to compete to my full ability.
Valentine: My biggest goal is to win the state title, but if that doesn’t happen I for sure think I can get a medal.
Isaiah, Trey Campbell of Cedar Falls was the top qualifier with a jump of 24-5, more than a foot longer than any other qualifier. Do you think anyone can beat him at state?
Valentine: Yeah, Trey is a great athlete, and I’m happy for him on how he jumped at his district meet. But I think a few people have a chance at beating him!
Jamison, you are one of six athletes who jumped between 6-4 and 6-6 at the state qualifying meets. Who do you think will be the guy to beat at state?
Patton: I’m not really sure who all is jumping so we will see when we get there!
Isaiah, what are your plans for next year? Would you like to continue your track and field career in college?
Valentine: I will be attending Indian Hills to continue my track and field career!
Jamison, how is the football recruiting going? How many offers do you have, and how many schools have you visited?
Patton: Recruiting has been great; I’m starting to narrow down my options a little more now. I have 10 D1 offers. This spring I visited Iowa, Iowa State and UCLA.
Do you have a timetable for making a decision?
Patton: I don’t have a date for when I’m committing yet.