Perry senior Scott James is hoping that his final sport as a Bluejay will bring him his highest honor. For the second straight year, James will compete in the 3A state High Jump during the opening day competition at Drake Stadium. The 6-5 senior finished 16th in the state last year with a clearing jump of 5-10.
“Last year I just didn’t think I had it in me,” stated the starting center of the Raccoon River Conference basketball team. “I really didn’t get my confidence in the event until late in the year. This year has been completely different for me. My confidence is really high and I have tweaked a few things with my approach thanks to Coach Coy. In fact I set a personal best earlier this year clearing 6-4.”
The high jump is a combination of both physical and mental forces to which the athlete must balance.
“It all starts with confidence. I begin by telling myself that I can clear anything. It’s important to find your proper breathing and focus on what you need to do. The next huge part is building up the proper speed. You need enough speed and explosion along with the proper form to propel yourself over the bar.”
There’s no doubt which one James feels is the most important.
“The biggest for me is confidence. I had no confidence at all last year but I have made huge strides this season with my mental approach. The second most important part is to build up lots of speed before the bar jump. I have improved with my form and explosion this year.”
James will also compete for Perry in the 1600 Medley and 4×400.