Lindsay Marjanski, of South Hadley, high jumps last season during a PVIAC indoor track & field meet at Smith College. Marjanski has twice broken the school record in the event, including Friday when she leaped 5 feet 5 inches. GAZETTE STAFF/JERREY ROBERTS
For the Gazette
NORTHAMPTON — By the time South Hadley sophomore Lindsay Marjanski joined the competition Friday, 23 of the 26 high jumpers had already been eliminated.
The long wait didn’t bother Marjanski, who broke her own school record, clearing 5 feet 5 inches in the final regular-season PVIAC early session meet at Smith College.
Most competitors started at the opening height of 3-9, but Marjanski started at 4-11.
“Last season in indoor my (personal record) was 4 feet 11 inches,” Marjanski said. “Every time the bar went to 5 feet I couldn’t get over it, but this season has been a big improvement.”
While looking at the mat, Marjanski composed herself and stretched her left leg back. When she jumped she soared over the bar, got off the mat and put her sweatshirt on to prepare for the 300 meters.
After winning the 300 in 42.87 seconds, Marjanski changed her shoes while still out of breath and attempted to clear 5-1. After missing her first two attempts Marjanski once again composed herself, stretched her left leg back and ran, clearing the bar with room to spare.
There were only two jumpers left after Marjanski cleared 5-1, her and Madison McMahon of East Longmeadow.
After both McMahon and Marjanski missed their first attempts at 5-3, they took their time to catch their breath. McMahon missed again, but Marjanski cleared the bar. When McMahon missed on her final attempt, Marjanski was declared the winner. However, she wanted to keep going.
After clearing 5-5 on her first attempt to break her own school record by 1 inch, Marjanski attempted to jump 5-6, but missed three times.
Last year Marjanski finished seventh at the PVIAC championships, but an extra year of competition has made Marjanski a better jumper. She will look to win the sectional title next Friday at the league championships.
“She’s just gotten a lot more consistent with understanding what cues mean,” Tigers coach Nick Davis said. “She’s very coachable so we go into a practice and she’s able to listen to me and say ‘OK, I’m not doing X, Y or Z right so I can fix it by doing this’ because she knows the event now. She’s so committed to it that it doesn’t take a whole lot to get her doing it.”
South Hadley beat Baystate Academy, 92-2, and Hampden Charter 90-4.
Savannah Sudyka placed first in the shot put with a throw of 35-4, while Amy Hampson finished second in the 55 dash (7.86) and fourth in the long jump (15-1¼). South Hadley’s 4x200 relay placed second in 1:52.86.
Bradyn Cote finished second in the boys mile (5:51.72) for South Hadley, which swept Hampden (82-3) and Baystate (73-16). Stephen Stratton finished third in the high jump (5-5) and Evan Levrault placed third in the boys shot put (44-8).
Amherst Regional’s Aiden Foucault Etheridge finished first in the boys 600 (1:23.17), while the Hurricanes’ 4x200 relay placed second (1:35.40).
East Longmeadow beat Amherst, 54-40. East Longmeadow also beat Amherst’s girls team, 84-11.
With the regular season coming to an end coaches and athletes are focused on next week’s championship.
“We still go hard but now it’s just we’ve done all the hard work and we’re just trying to keep it for the next two weeks,” Marjanski said.
