Jefferson poised for a fast cross country season

<p><strong>T</strong>he discipline required to train, mostly alone, the past four months gave Will Jefferson the necessary confidence entering his final year of high school competition.</p><p>Still, the Whiteland cross-country and track standout needed numbers.</p><p>Any numbers.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>The ones Jefferson posted at the Midsummer Nights Distance Open at Indiana Wesleyan University on July 7 wound up breaking a 43-year-old school record. His time of 4 minutes, 17.67 seconds in the 1,600-meter run narrowly eclipsed the 4:17.7 run by Mark Adams in 1977.</p><p>Jefferson’s previous best in the 1,600 had been a 4:28.67 at the 2019 Johnson County meet.</p><p>“I wasn’t really sure going into the race,” said Jefferson, who crossed the finish line 12.38 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. “I haven’t done any track workouts, so I just went out and did what I could do.</p><p>“It was great just to be able to run a track race again.”</p><p>With the spring sports season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jefferson wasn’t able to follow up on his sophomore track season, which concluded with a 12th-place effort in the 3,200-meter run at the state meet.</p><p>The Midsummer Nights event allowed qualified boys and girls from different states to take part in any of three races — the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Jefferson stayed with other runners for the first lap, but began distancing himself at around Turn 2 of the second lap.</p><p>“I was really surprised because Will hasn’t been doing prep work for the mile,” Whiteland cross-country coach Gerry Emerson said. “He ran what he did without being pushed, which is probably the most impressive part.</p><p>“We thought he could go somewhere in the mid-4:20s. I think Will was just so anxious to get a race and finally be able to compete.”</p><p>Jefferson’s latest achievement sets him up for playing a significant role in what could be a memorable cross-country season in Johnson County. Not only is Jefferson the defending sectional and regional champion, but the Center Grove boys and Franklin girls squads are poised to field outstanding teams based on returning and incoming talent.</p><p>How cross-country competitions will be structured this summer and fall in the COVID-19 era remains to be seen. One possibility would be to put one starters box between the clusters of teams at the outset of a race; another would be to stagger the starts and use timing chips to clock the race. No specific rulings have yet come down.</p><p>Whatever the format, Jefferson will be ready.</p><p>“Over the last five months or so, I’ve been working a lot harder,” Jefferson said. “The rest definitely helped me, and I think it’s going to be a real fast cross-county season. I’m really excited. It will be fun.”</p>