Edinburgh junior Jackson Hartwell takes flight on his way to winning the long jump at the Greenfield-Central Regional.
Daily Journal file photo
The top five seeds in today’s state long jump competition represent high schools with an average enrollment of 2,871 students.
Edinburgh junior Jackson Hartwell occupies the sixth spot.
Analogies born from the movie “Hoosiers” don’t typically frequent track and field storylines, yet here we are with the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Hartwell heading off to the big city — okay, Bloomington — in an attempt to bring home a state championship.
Edinburgh, with 227 students, has the state’s 347th largest enrollment out of 403 IHSAA high schools.
For Hartwell to have the opportunity to channel his inner Jimmy Chitwood, he’ll need to remain composed in his sport’s largest and at times most imposing surroundings.
“I’ve never been to a state finals in any sport (to compete or watch),” Hartwell said. “I’m nervous a little bit, but I’ll be fine. I really just want to make sure I get my jumps over 22 feet. That’s my main focus.”
Hartwell, the champion at last week’s Greenfield-Central Regional with a top effort of 22 feet, 6 1/4 inches, looks to write his own feel-good story for everyone at Robert C. Haugh Stadium to enjoy.
Penn senior Elijah Coker covered 24-2½ at regional to emerge as the top seed at state. Fishers junior JonAnthony Hall, a starter for the Tigers’ Class 4A state basketball champions this winter, is third at 22-7½.
Those two placed third and fourth, respectively, at the 2023 state meet.
Hartwell, meanwhile, didn’t participate in track as a sophomore. A year earlier, he turned heads by winning the long jump at the Columbus North Sectional with a leap of 21-5½ as a ninth-grader.
“I started jumping my freshman year. It’s easy to me. It feels like something I’ve done all my life,” he said. “I just try to lay everything I have into the jump.”
Hartwell has yet to get outdistanced at a meet this season; he did wind up second at the Columbus North Sectional to Whiteland senior Benian Walls, who prevailed by virtue of a tiebreaker after both jumpers peaked at 21-6¼.
Walls and Greenwood junior Jeremiah Carter also achieved the state standard at regional, qualifying both for state and giving Johnson County plenty to cheer for in the long jump.
Hartwell is the first Edinburgh boys athlete to advance to the state meet in 64 years, joining miler Paul Williams, who made the 1960 event. The last Lancer female to qualify was Vicki Hammond in the shot put in 1995.
“This year, we took the focus that Jackson could do really well at long jump,” Edinburgh track coach Jordan Bowman said. “He’s run the 4×100 a couple of times, but mostly it’s been the long jump.
“With him, it’s all athleticism and explosion. When Jackson hits the sand, you hear it.”
Should he win today, Hartwell will really hear that, too. Indiana, after all, loves its “Hoosiers” comparisons.
“What Jackson is already doing is a special accomplishment. I feel this would be icing on the cake,” said Bowman of a potential top-five finish for Hartwell. “We’re kind of the only team around the area that has never had that state success.
“I know Jackson cares. I know he gets nervous. But once he gets to the track and gets his run-throughs, he locks in and tries to stay in the air as long as he can.”
IF YOU GO
IHSAA State Finals
When: 3 p.m. (field events), 4:15 p.m. (running events)
Where: Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, Indiana University
Admission: $15 per person, ages 5 and under are free; all tickets digital
