Taylor McCormick joined elite company with her performance at the state track meet.
The Gilmer High School junior proved to be the best high jumper in Class 3A last Thursday in Carrollton. When McCormick cleared 5’ 6” on her first attempt, she became Gilmer High’s first track state champion since 1995.
She is Gilmer’s high jump record holder at 5’ 6”, a mark she achieved last season. Up until the state meet, her best jump in 2022 was 5’ 3”.
“This season, I’ve actually had it pretty bad. I wasn’t clearing most heights and didn’t even clear 5’4” this year,” she said after winning the championship.
“I think my competition here was tough. I’ve seen the girls before, so it was really nerve-racking. I think the nerves can either help or hurt and the weather was good today. At a bunch of meets this season, the weather has been bad.”
Sixteen competitors made up the high-jump field, which was whittled down to McCormick and White County’s Maci Shelnut. McCormick defeated Shelnut at the region meet and did the same at state.
Once the bar was raised to 5’ 6”, McCormick cleared it on her first try. Shelnut did not achieve the mark until her third and final leap. The bar was then set at 5’ 8”. Neither competitor was able to achieve the height, and McCormick was awarded the state title because it took her fewer attempts at 5’ 6”.
McCormick noted what the championship did for her confidence and the momentum she hopes it will provide next season.
“It really means that I can do it, because this season I really lost a bunch of courage in what I could do. I really kind of gave up a little bit halfway through because I wasn’t clearing the heights that I was last year, but this is a real confidence booster,” she said.
“I hope to get heights like this again senior year, and I’m hoping that this will really push me to do it some more.”
Head coach Ashley DeWitt discussed McCormick’s feat and what it means for the program.
“We tell them when they come in in February to get just a little better each week as you go through. We want to have our best jumps, best throws and best runs on the last meet that we have. She did that today. So it’s just a testament to her hard work and what a great student athlete she is,” DeWitt said.
“It really means a lot. It brings pride back to Gilmer County, which is great. She plays other sports, which I’m very thankful a lot of our athletes play two and three sports, which is important. And hopefully, more girls will come out next year. This year, we had more boys come out.”
GHS was also represented at state by pole vaulter Will Kiker, distance runner Carson Purvis and the 4x800 relay team of Zachary Bobak, Michael Little, John Keener and Purvis.
Kiker topped out at 12’ for seventh place. Purvis secured eighth in the 1,600 meters. His time of 4:29.70 improved on the GHS record he set multiple times this season. The 4x800 team clocked in at 8:36.17 for eighth place.