HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

TRACK AND FIELD: Jones 11th in 400 at state

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INDIANAPOLIS — Southmont’s Trent Jones dominating track and field season has come to an end. The junior competed Friday night at the IHSAA State Meet and was seeded fourth overall in the 400 meter-dash. Running against the best competition in the state, Jones placed 11th overall with a time 49.89 seconds.

Disappointed with his finish, Jones also took many positives away from his first trip to the state finals.

“After all is said and done, I can say that I made it here,” Jones said. “That’s a blessing in itself. I got to run against the fastest people in the state and not many people get to do that. I’m just thankful for the experience. Overall this season was the best that it could have been. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Jones’ dominate season includes being a four event winner at the county meet, two second place finishes in the 200 and 400 meter dash at the sectional, and a state standard time of 48.88 seconds in the regional which qualified him for the state meet.

Jones will come back next season with bigger and better goals and attempt to be a two-time state qualifier next season. That’s all the motivation that he needs heading into his senior season.

“I’m confident that I can make it back here,” Jones said. “Next year my goal is not only get back here but make it onto that podium (top eight). I’ll be taking this offseason pretty serious and anything that I did this year to get here, I’ll try to improve on.”

Southmont coach Desson Hannum has coached his fare share of state qualifiers in his time with the Mounties. Like Jones, Hannum was nothing but proud of the way Jones competed and as a coach that’s all he could have asked for.

“Trent ran a good race today,” Hannum said. “It wasn’t his best race but he has nothing to be disappointed in. This is something that can motivate him heading into next season. He’s the type of athlete that will take today and use it to get back to this same spot next year.”

Coaching the likes of Brooks Long and other Mounties who have made it to the state meet, Hannum said that this past season that Jones had ranks right up there with one of the most dominating seasons in Southmont history.

“He’s been about as dominate as any athlete I’ve had the chance to coach,” he said. “With not having a season last year and to come back and have all of the accomplishments that he did, you’re just excited for him and for what’s to come next year. The last athlete we had here as a junior was Brooks Long and Trent is in a very similar spot to where he was where it wasn’t his best race, but he came back next year and made it onto the podium, and that’s what Trent is going to do.”


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