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With the 2025 Iowa high school girls track and field season underway, Ames coach Erica Lynn Douglas is jumping for joy.
The talent she has available in both the long jump and high jump events is the best it has been during her four years at the head of the program.
Two state qualifiers are back for the Little Cyclones this season.
Juniors Sophia Hatcher and Edyn Cowles qualified for state in the long jump last year. Hatcher placed seventh and Cowles 15th.
Seniors Ayak Akol and Anisa Percival are two-time state qualifiers in the high jump.
Akol took 13th as a sophomore and 19th as a junior. Percival placed eighth as a sophomore, but she was unable to compete at state last year.
But those four are not the only ones capable of reaching the state meet this year.
Sophomore Elodie Biggs has stepped up and pushed Akol and Percival in the high jump. Freshman Au'Niyah Thomas gives Ames a third elite long jumper.
"Depth helps our program and the girls as individuals," Lynn Douglas said. "It gives them flexibility each week and creates balance in their training."
Excelling in both jumping events takes a lot more than leaping ability.
Both events require varying skill sets to reach the maximum result.
The long jump involves sprinting at full speed, hitting the board at the right moment and sticking a good landing to get the most distance out of a jump. Hatcher has videos taken of all her jumps in the long jump so she can always go over her form and find ways to improve.
More: Ames wants a state title in girls track. Sophia Hatcher could be the key to making it happen
“Honestly, it is mental,” Hatcher said. “One time you’ll hit the board perfectly and you’ll hit your mark, and the next time you’re not going to hit it at all. You really have to tell yourself you only need one good jump.”
The high jump involves the challenge of clearing a bar in the air without knocking it over on the way down. It takes a good sprint, a well-timed jump and the correct body positioning.
“It’s not normal to go over a bar,” Akol said. “No one really does that. It can be intimidating, but honestly, it’s a really rewarding event to do. There’s no feeling like going over a bar.”
All four jumpers who made the state meet last year are excited about the prospects of outdoing their 2024 performances this spring.
In the high jump, Percival cleared the bar at five feet, two inches during her sophomore year at state. She said she is going for 5-4 or 5-5 this year.
Akol also has similar goals. She said she wants to jump 5-6 and qualify for the Drake Relays.
More: Why Ames sophomore track athlete Ayak Akol is driven to succeed in girls high jump
In the long jump, Hatcher said she not only wants to top the 17-2 jump she had at the 2024 state meet, but she is also striving to beat Drake's blue standard mark of 17-10.
“I’m really trying to get to 18,” Hatcher said. “I’ve been praying on that for so long.”
Cowles has the potential to best the 16-7 jump she had at last year's state meet.
"She has great strength and power," Lynn Douglas said. "Her confidence as an athlete on the track has reached another level this year. I think she's finally starting to see she belongs here."
The emergence of Biggs and Thomas means no one in either event is assured a return trip to state.
Only two athletes in each event can compete at the state qualifying meet.
"Everyone can jump until we can't," Lynn Douglas said. "At some point, unfortunately, we will be restricted by the rules and limits of the sport. But we will deal with that when the time comes. Each meet they each get an opportunity, and they embrace it."
More: Top 20 Ames-area Iowa high school girls track and field athletes ahead of the 2025 season
Biggs admits it is a challenge trying to keep up with Percival and Akol in the high jump. But she has held her own thus far as a sophomore, jumping 5-2 at the Waukee Northwest Girls Invitational on April 3.
“It’s a lot to step into with people who are already so good,” Biggs said. “I had the benefit of my dad (Stephen Biggs) knowing how to high jump, so I had already learned a lot of it. But it’s really fun to learn from them and see what they were good at and see what I could take from that.”
She said she wants to reach 5-4 this season.
Thomas has made an immediate impact in the long jump. She jumped 15-8 at Waukee.
“I just come to practice, go to meets and do my best,” Thomas said. “I ask Sophia what I need to work on, and she helps me with that.”
Hatcher is impressed with her young pupil.
“It’s really exciting, especially having a freshman coming in and she’s actually really good,” Hatcher said. “She knows what she needs to do. She’s getting close to my jumps, so I’ve got to push myself to get farther.”
Though only two out of the three jumpers in each event will have the opportunity to qualify for state at the end of the season, they all cheer each other on to perform at the highest level during every meet.
“We’re a competitive group,” Percival said. “When one of us is competing well, we’re uplifting each other and giving each other healthy competition, always trying to stay with each other.”
The Ames girls tied for 15th in the 4A team standings at the 2024 state meet. Thanks to the depth they have in both jumping events, the Little Cyclones have a shot at the top 10 this year.
“The field events are sneaky points you can get at a state meet,” Akol said. “People watch, but I feel they mainly pay attention to the track events. If you can really get points at the state meet in a field event, that’s really a difference maker.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Stacked field of jumpers stands out for Ames in girls track and field
Continue reading...
The talent she has available in both the long jump and high jump events is the best it has been during her four years at the head of the program.
You must be registered for see images attach
Two state qualifiers are back for the Little Cyclones this season.
Juniors Sophia Hatcher and Edyn Cowles qualified for state in the long jump last year. Hatcher placed seventh and Cowles 15th.
Seniors Ayak Akol and Anisa Percival are two-time state qualifiers in the high jump.
Akol took 13th as a sophomore and 19th as a junior. Percival placed eighth as a sophomore, but she was unable to compete at state last year.
But those four are not the only ones capable of reaching the state meet this year.
Sophomore Elodie Biggs has stepped up and pushed Akol and Percival in the high jump. Freshman Au'Niyah Thomas gives Ames a third elite long jumper.
"Depth helps our program and the girls as individuals," Lynn Douglas said. "It gives them flexibility each week and creates balance in their training."
Both events require unique skills
Excelling in both jumping events takes a lot more than leaping ability.
Both events require varying skill sets to reach the maximum result.
The long jump involves sprinting at full speed, hitting the board at the right moment and sticking a good landing to get the most distance out of a jump. Hatcher has videos taken of all her jumps in the long jump so she can always go over her form and find ways to improve.
More: Ames wants a state title in girls track. Sophia Hatcher could be the key to making it happen
“Honestly, it is mental,” Hatcher said. “One time you’ll hit the board perfectly and you’ll hit your mark, and the next time you’re not going to hit it at all. You really have to tell yourself you only need one good jump.”
The high jump involves the challenge of clearing a bar in the air without knocking it over on the way down. It takes a good sprint, a well-timed jump and the correct body positioning.
“It’s not normal to go over a bar,” Akol said. “No one really does that. It can be intimidating, but honestly, it’s a really rewarding event to do. There’s no feeling like going over a bar.”
Returning state qualifiers have big goals
You must be registered for see images attach
All four jumpers who made the state meet last year are excited about the prospects of outdoing their 2024 performances this spring.
In the high jump, Percival cleared the bar at five feet, two inches during her sophomore year at state. She said she is going for 5-4 or 5-5 this year.
Akol also has similar goals. She said she wants to jump 5-6 and qualify for the Drake Relays.
More: Why Ames sophomore track athlete Ayak Akol is driven to succeed in girls high jump
In the long jump, Hatcher said she not only wants to top the 17-2 jump she had at the 2024 state meet, but she is also striving to beat Drake's blue standard mark of 17-10.
“I’m really trying to get to 18,” Hatcher said. “I’ve been praying on that for so long.”
Cowles has the potential to best the 16-7 jump she had at last year's state meet.
"She has great strength and power," Lynn Douglas said. "Her confidence as an athlete on the track has reached another level this year. I think she's finally starting to see she belongs here."
Young jumpers are pushing the veterans
The emergence of Biggs and Thomas means no one in either event is assured a return trip to state.
Only two athletes in each event can compete at the state qualifying meet.
"Everyone can jump until we can't," Lynn Douglas said. "At some point, unfortunately, we will be restricted by the rules and limits of the sport. But we will deal with that when the time comes. Each meet they each get an opportunity, and they embrace it."
More: Top 20 Ames-area Iowa high school girls track and field athletes ahead of the 2025 season
Biggs admits it is a challenge trying to keep up with Percival and Akol in the high jump. But she has held her own thus far as a sophomore, jumping 5-2 at the Waukee Northwest Girls Invitational on April 3.
“It’s a lot to step into with people who are already so good,” Biggs said. “I had the benefit of my dad (Stephen Biggs) knowing how to high jump, so I had already learned a lot of it. But it’s really fun to learn from them and see what they were good at and see what I could take from that.”
She said she wants to reach 5-4 this season.
Thomas has made an immediate impact in the long jump. She jumped 15-8 at Waukee.
“I just come to practice, go to meets and do my best,” Thomas said. “I ask Sophia what I need to work on, and she helps me with that.”
Hatcher is impressed with her young pupil.
“It’s really exciting, especially having a freshman coming in and she’s actually really good,” Hatcher said. “She knows what she needs to do. She’s getting close to my jumps, so I’ve got to push myself to get farther.”
All about the team
You must be registered for see images attach
Though only two out of the three jumpers in each event will have the opportunity to qualify for state at the end of the season, they all cheer each other on to perform at the highest level during every meet.
“We’re a competitive group,” Percival said. “When one of us is competing well, we’re uplifting each other and giving each other healthy competition, always trying to stay with each other.”
The Ames girls tied for 15th in the 4A team standings at the 2024 state meet. Thanks to the depth they have in both jumping events, the Little Cyclones have a shot at the top 10 this year.
“The field events are sneaky points you can get at a state meet,” Akol said. “People watch, but I feel they mainly pay attention to the track events. If you can really get points at the state meet in a field event, that’s really a difference maker.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Stacked field of jumpers stands out for Ames in girls track and field
Continue reading...
