Whitko junior Kaitlyn Reed is out to set some high jump standards this weekend at the IHSAA Girls Track State Finals. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SOUTH WHITLEY – Ah, the life of a high jumper. You sit, sit some more, then stretch, compete for about 15 seconds, then sit some more.

Watching Whitko’s Kaitlyn Reed at the IHSAA Kokomo Girls Track Regional, those without any knowledge of the training it takes to achieve her level of success could have inferred life is pretty easy. Reed spent most of her time sitting under a brick structure, or pacing to the track bordering where several Whitko coaches and teammates were parked. Others took their turns at the bar, which slowly crept above five feet over the course of an hour. All the while, Reed didn’t do much.

Having established the state standard of 5-4 at the Rochester Sectional, then crossing off one of her goals by clearing 5-6 – which tied the school record and set a personal best for Reed – the jovial yet incredibly focused junior got to take a little time off.

As jumpers bowed out as the bar continuously was knocked from its partition, Reed finally got going. Able to hit the state standard of 5-4 once again, a return trip to the state finals was secured, but the regional title was not. The Kokomo duo of Deju Miller and champion Lana Pham met the height before Reed. None of the three were able to clear the bar further than that, leaving Reed in third but another goal met.

“Being the highest seed in both the sectional and regional felt great, but that doesn’t quite mean anything,” Reed said. “High jump is strictly technique and if one thing is off it can affect your jump tremendously. I strongly believe that if you do your best, never give up and encourage others, it will take you further as a team and as an individual.

“Before I jump, I not only try to focus on proper technique but doing those three tasks as well.”

As a sophomore, Reed was stuck on 5-4 in the state tournament, finishing at that height in the sectional, regional and state finals. Her state finals finish left her ninth overall, but well off the mark Oak Hill’s Janae Moffitt set in her championship leap of 5-10.

Reed’s 5-6 effort at Rochester this season not only won the sectional, but tied her with Miranda Terrell for the Whitko school record. The infectious smile and the camaraderie Reed looks to instill on the track can’t mask, however, how much Reed wants to get the record to herself.

“All season I have been working up to this meet,” Reed said. “Being a repeat qualifier I felt as if it was expected of me to make it once again. It made me work even harder to try to accomplish my goal.”

Reed, who is also Whitko’s top sprinter and was shockingly edged out of the state tournament in the 100-meter dash after finishing fourth, has shaken the sprint disappointment off and has just the high jump bar on her mind heading into Friday’s IHSAA State Finals in Bloomington.

Seeded 13th but with eight other competitors with her regional height of 5-4 on the sheet, really, all the numbers go out the window. Zionsville’s Katie Isenbarger comes in with the top seed height at 5-8 and Corin Erwin of Munster is second at 5-7. Reed is confident she can get back to 5-6, but thinks she has something else left in the tank.

“Don’t worry, I’ll jump 5-7 this weekend,” mentioned Reed. “I’m striving for 5-7, but nothing less than 5-6.”