LAKEWOOD — It’s probably pretty safe to say that Amber Lowther likes to get a jump on things. She is, after all, the top qualifier in the long, triple and high jump at the 2A state track and field meet at Jefferson County Stadium this weekend.
But she also, surprisingly, qualified for the shot put.
The Rocky Ford senior hadn’t even tried the event until two weeks ago, under the recommendation of coach Jason Muth, as preparation for a pentathlon next week at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.
She not only tried it but finished third in her first meet. Then last week, ranked eighth at the regional, she sneaked into the state meet. She had no realistic hopes of winning a state title in the shot put — she finished fourth — but she did much better than what could have been expected just weeks ago.
“I’m hoping to make it and just get on the podium,” Lowther said.
She also made it on the podium in the long jump, but it wasn’t where she hoped she’d be.
That’s because Norwood sophomore Lindsey Stindt — herself more of a hurdler than long jumper — hit a 16-foot-6¾ during preliminaries that held up.
“That was very surprising because my best jump this year has been a 16-4¼, and that’s probably been my best all through high school. So it was very surprising,” Stindt said.
But she has a reason for why she did so well.
“My coach started yelling at me, so I decided I don’t want to make him mad,” said Stindt, who qualified second for today’s 100 hurdles.
Lowther’s second-place finish was better than her sixth place from a year ago, but it wasn’t where she was favored to place. But Muth believes things will work out for her in the end.
“We actually talked about this Monday in practice, and I asked her if she came out here and some girl jumped a 17-6 or something and you jumped a 17-2, would you be happy with that, and she said, yeah because it’s her personal best,” Muth said. “I think when I talked to her and I hope what she is thinking is as long as she (did) her best she is going be happy. As long as she performed well, that it will eventually be OK.”
Things could always be better. Maybe a victory in the triple jump today or high jump, in which she has placed third and second the last two years, respectively, Saturday will make everything OK.
