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LAKEWOOD, Colorado - Run fast and jump far.
Those words are the driving force behind Tyler Thompson’s short, yet immensely successful, track and field career.
And running fast and jumping far are two things the Roaring Fork High School senior did on Friday, leaping into the school record books and to a state title.
Sailing 46 feet, 9 1/4 inches with his very first leap of the morning, Thompson netted Class 3A triple jump gold at the state track and field meet in Lakewood.
He’ll take aim at his second straight long jump state title this afternoon.
Run fast and jump far.
It’s that simple directive - one he’s heard many a time in his high school career - that Thompson took to heart as he chased gold.
“Run fast and jump far,” he said with a laugh. “That was my coaching most of high school - run fast and jump far.”
A testament to his raw jumping ability, the spring-legged Thompson has never even worked with a coach who specializes in either of his events.
“He’s just got an amazing jumping ability,” lauded Roaring Fork assistant track and field coach Ryan Erickson, who works with Thompson in practices but isn’t a jumping specialist. “I even noticed it in basketball, the way he skied up over everyone else to get rebounds. I just couldn’t wait to see him out here.”
Thompson, consumed by adrenaline, wasted little time bagging a title on Friday.
After sticking his monster of an opening leap, Thompson couldn’t believe his eyes as the judges put a 46-9 on the board. His previous personal-best leap: a 44-11 1/2.
“It was almost two feet (better),” he said, still a little awe-stricken in the moments after wrapping the competition. “I was hoping for 45. That happened and I was just like, ‘What?’”
No one stood a chance after that. Faith Christian’s Hayden Loudenslager came closest to Thompson’s mark with a silver leap measuring 44-1.
Thompson, who finished second in the triple jump last year, said it’s not all that uncommon that his first jump is his best jump. It’s when he releases all his pent-up energy.
“My best ones are usually the first ones,” he said. “I’m kind of a hyper kid. I’m always bouncing off the walls, jumping around. … I just had a bunch of adrenaline going. I let it out right there.”
Thompson, who hopes to walk on to the track and field team at the University of Colorado next school year, certainly fortified his case for making the squad. His mark would have easily won the 4A title.
“Hopefully this will help get me on the team,” he said.
And, considering how well he’s faring sans a serious jumping coach, it’s scary to think what Division I coaches might be able to coax out of Thompson.
“Looking into his future, he has a ton of potential,” Erickson forecasted. “Just working with a specialized coach would clean up what he doesn’t know right now.”
Those words are the driving force behind Tyler Thompson’s short, yet immensely successful, track and field career.
And running fast and jumping far are two things the Roaring Fork High School senior did on Friday, leaping into the school record books and to a state title.
Sailing 46 feet, 9 1/4 inches with his very first leap of the morning, Thompson netted Class 3A triple jump gold at the state track and field meet in Lakewood.
He’ll take aim at his second straight long jump state title this afternoon.
Run fast and jump far.
It’s that simple directive - one he’s heard many a time in his high school career - that Thompson took to heart as he chased gold.
“Run fast and jump far,” he said with a laugh. “That was my coaching most of high school - run fast and jump far.”
A testament to his raw jumping ability, the spring-legged Thompson has never even worked with a coach who specializes in either of his events.
“He’s just got an amazing jumping ability,” lauded Roaring Fork assistant track and field coach Ryan Erickson, who works with Thompson in practices but isn’t a jumping specialist. “I even noticed it in basketball, the way he skied up over everyone else to get rebounds. I just couldn’t wait to see him out here.”
Thompson, consumed by adrenaline, wasted little time bagging a title on Friday.
After sticking his monster of an opening leap, Thompson couldn’t believe his eyes as the judges put a 46-9 on the board. His previous personal-best leap: a 44-11 1/2.
“It was almost two feet (better),” he said, still a little awe-stricken in the moments after wrapping the competition. “I was hoping for 45. That happened and I was just like, ‘What?’”
No one stood a chance after that. Faith Christian’s Hayden Loudenslager came closest to Thompson’s mark with a silver leap measuring 44-1.
Thompson, who finished second in the triple jump last year, said it’s not all that uncommon that his first jump is his best jump. It’s when he releases all his pent-up energy.
“My best ones are usually the first ones,” he said. “I’m kind of a hyper kid. I’m always bouncing off the walls, jumping around. … I just had a bunch of adrenaline going. I let it out right there.”
Thompson, who hopes to walk on to the track and field team at the University of Colorado next school year, certainly fortified his case for making the squad. His mark would have easily won the 4A title.
“Hopefully this will help get me on the team,” he said.
And, considering how well he’s faring sans a serious jumping coach, it’s scary to think what Division I coaches might be able to coax out of Thompson.
“Looking into his future, he has a ton of potential,” Erickson forecasted. “Just working with a specialized coach would clean up what he doesn’t know right now.”
Path to the top
Thompson’s ascent to the top of the state podium, a summit he reached for the first time in the long jump last year, began in the seventh grade.Lacking depth perception, he wasn’t a prime candidate to play baseball as a spring sport, so he chose track and field.
Having inherited jumping genes from his dad, a former collegiate basketball player, it didn’t take long before Thompson realized he had found his sports calling.
“Most kids played baseball at the time and I don’t have any depth perception, so I’m not very good at baseball,” Thompson said. “I did track and I was decent at it, so I continued to pursue it. And I had fun with it. The main thing is that I always had fun with it.”
And he’s managed to quite easily work around that depth perception issue.
“He just kind of got his timing down,” said his father, Brad. “Once he got the timing down, along with the speed aspect and weight training, he just kept getting better and better.”
And, with limited coaching, he’s gotten a lot better.
“He’s really been pretty well self-taught,” Brad said. “He’s had some minor adjustments from coaches here and there. And he’s had some coaches from other schools, like (Pat) Gabriel from Eagle Valley, who have been influential. Other than that, he pretty much hasn’t had any specialty coaches. He’s basically had coaches telling him to run fast and jump far.”
Words his son has taken to the top of the podium.
