Shuler digs out state title No. 9
Winston-Salem – Zoie Shuler earned every bit of her ninth state championship.
The most decorated athlete in Robbinsville history had to dig deep Saturday in the finals of the 1A/2A triple jump competition, but when it came to leaping past Cummings’ D’Anna Cotton – who had already defeated Shuler earlier in the state title meet to claim the long jump gold medal – she got the job done.
Shuler’s sixth and final attempt measured 39’ 1 ½”; Cotton scratched on her last chance to best Shuler’s effort.
“It was definitely a battle,” Shuler said. “My last jump, all I was telling myself was to compete and that God was in control of the outcome, and I would be proud of myself either way.”
Shuler’s first attempt was 38’ 2 ¼”. Cotton surpassed the mark by 2 inches on her second attempt and led entering the fifth trip through the lineup.
Shuler launched herself 38’10” on leap No. 5, but Cotton answered immediately with a jump exactly ½” further.
The pressure was immense when Shuler lined up for the sixth go-around. She was already 0-for-2 on the day; though she entered as the No. 1 seed, Cotton had already bested Shuler in the long jump just by ¾”; the Cummings senior posting a distance of 17’ 10 ¼” on her fifth attempt to surpass Shuler’s best from her second try, 17’ 9 ½”.
The University of Tennessee softball-commit was not interested in leaving the JDL Fast Track empty-handed.
“The day overall was not great, but good,” Shuler said.
“I was sick earlier in the week and was not able to train the way I wanted to, but even though the other events didn’t end the way I wanted, it felt amazing to get out there and win one more state title.”
Shuler broke the Smoky Mountain Conference’s indoor high-jump record earlier this season, recording a new standard of 5’4”. She was unable to replicate the effort Saturday, placing 10th in the competition after clearing 4’10.” Cotton prevailed by hurdling over the bar at 5’6”.
“She is an amazing athlete and has a great support system,” Shuler said of Cotton.
“I believe that we both got better because we pushed each other until the last jumps, on both long and triple.”
Black Knights
Two other local athletes reported for duty Saturday: Cooper Adams and Donovin Hall. Both made their Winston-Salem debuts at the 1A/2A combined meet, with Adams checking in for the long and triple jumps and Hall competing in the shot put.
Adams placed 13th in the long jump (19’ ½”) and 15th in the triple (37’ 7 ½”); Hall was 26th in the shot put (35’ 6 ¼”).
A junior, Adams is the only Knight who competed Saturday who will return next season.
Outdoor track practice began Monday; Adams, Shuler and Hall already have a nice head start.