Baker High's Elisea Jones competes in U.S. Junior Olympic Meet

Elisea Jones.jpgView full sizeElisea Jones competes in the 400-meter hurdles in the Junior Olympics. (Courtesy of Unforgettable Memories)

MOBILE, Alabama — Baker High School’s Elisea Jones recently had the thrill of a lifetime — competing in the U.S. Junior Olympic Meet in Baltimore, Md.

Jones, who just started her junior year at Baker, finished second in the Intermediate Girls Division 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute, 1.84 seconds.

“I felt really, really comfortable,” said Jones, who won the 6A girls’ 300-meter hurdles title at the state outdoor championships in May.

Jones’ time of 44.51 at the state meet was the fastest of any classification during the 2012 season, and the training for that event, as well as the longer distance, proved to be beneficial in Baltimore.

“My training has been fine,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to run the time (at nationals) that I did, but when I crossed the line, I was really excited.”

Jones, who has been running summer track for eight years, also said she was excited about being at the Junior Olympics, but competing in the meet was nothing new to her. Still, competing in the hurdles was a totally new experience.

“This year was my first year doing hurdles,” she said. “When I was younger, my main events were the 200- and 400-meter dashes, and relays.”

With the Junior Olympics behind her, Jones said that the hurdles could very well be her bread-and-butter event. She competed in the 100-meter hurdles during outdoor track and field season, but believes her future lies in the longer event.

That, and winning another state title.

“I really like the hurdles more than any other event,” she said. “I think I will concentrate more on the longer hurdles. Our training starts in October and I’m excited about it. Winning state again is my goal.”

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This story was written by Arthur Mack, Press-Register Correspondent.

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