Sophomore Peyton Hanson will represent Jackson County Central at the state Class A track and field meet next week. She placed second in the pole vault at the Section 3A meet in Redwood Falls to continue her season another week.
At the sub-section meet the previous Thursday at the same facility she had cleared 9 feet, 7 inches to set the JCC school record, win the meet and have the second-best seed performance for the section meet.
That helped provide some confidence heading into sections.
"Last week when I broke the school record it was very exciting so coming in to this meet today I knew I could do it," she said. "I just had to keep telling myself that. Once I did it, that felt very good. I'm very happy."
As far her approach in the week between those meets?
"I just kept practicing, working on different things to help me get the height."
While she didn't duplicate the record performance, it was enough to get her to next Friday's state meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
How about her approach between the section and state meets?
"I'm going to practice all throughout this week, work my hardest and trying to break another record, like go 9-8 or something," she said.
At her side during the upcoming practice sessions will be the Huskies' first-year pole vault coach, Nate Hanson. Before being Peyton's coach, he was her dad.
How has it been having her dad as her coach?
"It's been very nice," Peyton said. "He knows what I can do and can push me even when I think I can't do it. It's been very fun."
Peyton participated in track and field as a seventh- and eighth-grader, and like everyone, was not able to compete in 2020 when the season was canceled.
"It was very hard last year not competing. I missed it," she said.
The decision for Nate to join the JCC track and field was pretty easy and one he's enjoyed. He's coached wrestling for a number of years and has been the head coach for three seasons. He's also coached football.
"My daughters are involved so I was going to all the events anyway," he said. "Greg Maday had moved on and he was coaching pole vault and they needed a pole vault coach. I never pole vaulted but I've learned a lot watching videos and talking to other pole vault coaches and some clinics so I jumped in to get involved with my daughters who pole vault and it's been a lot of fun. She ran track in seventh- and eighth-grade and then last year didn't get to do it. I missed it. It was something I wanted to be a part of."
It's been gratifying to see Peyton do well, but other JCC vaulters finished their seasons strong as well.
"Reese Adkins put two feet on to his PR this year," the coach commented. "Quinn Landherr made 10-1 and just about made 10-7. We had a lot of success."
Jackson County Central has had success in wrestling and football. And the formula isn't any different in track and field.
"Like anything else, it's hard work and putting the time in so in that aspect it's like every other sport I've coached," Nate said. "You have to put the time in and follow the correct technique the best you can."
Peyton was busy on a hot, muggy day at the section meet, competing in four events.
She didn't miss qualifying for state by much in the 300-meter hurdles as she placed second in 48.95 seconds. The second-place finisher was time in 48.20.
Peyton was 11th in the 100-meter hurdles and ran the anchor leg of the Huskies' 4x400-meter relay team that placed 10th.
A complete list of JCC results at the Section 3A meet appeared in a separate newsletter.