June 5, 2021 at 2:56 a.m.
One more shot
Jay County seniors to cap track careers today during state finals at Ben Davis
Kinsey Shannon has one more race to make history.
It’ll also be Elisa Parazzi’s final day in the Western Hemisphere.
As the pair of Jay County High School seniors get set to compete in the IHSAA Track and Field State Championships today at Ben Davis in Indianapolis, both are doing their best to focus only on themselves.
“I tried to work hard all season,” said Parazzi, an exchange student from Italy who is seeded 10th in high jump. “I was trying to do it myself because it’s a new environment because I didn’t know what I’d be going through, the people I would have met and the season. Every time was a surprise because I could just get better and better. I got my (personal best), and that’s the goal for state is to get another PR.
“I don’t know (what place) I could get at state and I don’t worry about that. I’m just going there and trying to do my best.”
Parazzi had a height of 5 feet, 4 inches, during the regional meet May 25 to win the title, the Patriots’ first regional championship in 10 years. A week earlier at sectional, Parazzi won the title with a leap of 5 feet, 6 inches, setting a new career best.
She hopes to set another new career best when the event begins at 3:30 p.m. today. If she can at least match 5 feet, 6 inches, and if all other jumpers don’t exceed their seeds — they’re based on regional performances — Parazzi has the chance to finish third in the state and become the program’s first state medalist since Maria Murphy placed eighth in discus in 2012.
The top nine in each event earn state medals.
“What I expect out of her is just what she’s been doing; she rises to the occasion when there’s a competition,” JCHS coach Joe Imel said. “I knew the first day she came in and winter and said she jumped … we knew we had a good one.”
Whiteland Community senior Isabella Jackson is the top seed at 5 feet, 9 inches, with Warren Central’s Tacoria Humphrey is seeded second at 5 feet, 8 inches. The rest of the 28 competitors are seeded 5 feet, 5 inches, or lower.
Humphrey was the state runner-up in 2019, and Jackson placed third.
“She’s just been really a pleasure to work with and just to have around all the other kids too to have someone that talented to be around them,” Imel said.
Throughout her entire career, Shannon never set a goal of making the state finals in the 400-meter dash. She’s been chasing the school record of 59.1 seconds set by Amanda Johnson in 2007.
As a freshman, Shannon had a time of 59.64 seconds and placed eighth at regional. The following year, she was more than a second slower but improved two spots.
At last week’s regional, she pushed out of the final turn down the front straightaway thinking she had one last shot to get Johnson’s mark.
Shannon finished with a career-best 59.47 seconds, initially disappointed she didn’t get the record. But then she found out she edged Heritage Christian’s Carsyn Burdine by eight hundredths of a second to place third and make state.
“It was overwhelming because I did not think I had it all,” she said.
Defending state champion Ramiah Elliot of North Central is the top seed at 55.72 seconds. Hann Reuter of Martinsville and Kate Henselmeier of Center Grove are tied for the No. 8 seed at 58.89 seconds. Shannon is seeded 17th out of 27, and will start in lane one of her heat when the event begins at 7:05 p.m.
Imel believes she’s got much more in her than her seed might suggest.
“She’s got a video of her race at regional (and) she’s looking at that and looking at where we can pick up some time,” he said. “We’ve kind of come up with a plan to try to help her out in that way.
“She’s excited about one last opportunity to do something that no other 400 runner in Jay County history has ever done. We’re real excited to compete on Saturday.”
And what will it take for Shannon to walk off the track for the final time and be pleased with her performance, regardless of her time or place?
“If I just give it everything, if I leave dead then I will be happy with myself,” she said. “If I feel like I could have pushed myself more I’ll be disappointed no matter what my time is, but if I can give it all I got that’s all I can do.”
It’ll also be Elisa Parazzi’s final day in the Western Hemisphere.
As the pair of Jay County High School seniors get set to compete in the IHSAA Track and Field State Championships today at Ben Davis in Indianapolis, both are doing their best to focus only on themselves.
“I tried to work hard all season,” said Parazzi, an exchange student from Italy who is seeded 10th in high jump. “I was trying to do it myself because it’s a new environment because I didn’t know what I’d be going through, the people I would have met and the season. Every time was a surprise because I could just get better and better. I got my (personal best), and that’s the goal for state is to get another PR.
“I don’t know (what place) I could get at state and I don’t worry about that. I’m just going there and trying to do my best.”
Parazzi had a height of 5 feet, 4 inches, during the regional meet May 25 to win the title, the Patriots’ first regional championship in 10 years. A week earlier at sectional, Parazzi won the title with a leap of 5 feet, 6 inches, setting a new career best.
She hopes to set another new career best when the event begins at 3:30 p.m. today. If she can at least match 5 feet, 6 inches, and if all other jumpers don’t exceed their seeds — they’re based on regional performances — Parazzi has the chance to finish third in the state and become the program’s first state medalist since Maria Murphy placed eighth in discus in 2012.
The top nine in each event earn state medals.
“What I expect out of her is just what she’s been doing; she rises to the occasion when there’s a competition,” JCHS coach Joe Imel said. “I knew the first day she came in and winter and said she jumped … we knew we had a good one.”
Whiteland Community senior Isabella Jackson is the top seed at 5 feet, 9 inches, with Warren Central’s Tacoria Humphrey is seeded second at 5 feet, 8 inches. The rest of the 28 competitors are seeded 5 feet, 5 inches, or lower.
Humphrey was the state runner-up in 2019, and Jackson placed third.
“She’s just been really a pleasure to work with and just to have around all the other kids too to have someone that talented to be around them,” Imel said.
Throughout her entire career, Shannon never set a goal of making the state finals in the 400-meter dash. She’s been chasing the school record of 59.1 seconds set by Amanda Johnson in 2007.
As a freshman, Shannon had a time of 59.64 seconds and placed eighth at regional. The following year, she was more than a second slower but improved two spots.
At last week’s regional, she pushed out of the final turn down the front straightaway thinking she had one last shot to get Johnson’s mark.
Shannon finished with a career-best 59.47 seconds, initially disappointed she didn’t get the record. But then she found out she edged Heritage Christian’s Carsyn Burdine by eight hundredths of a second to place third and make state.
“It was overwhelming because I did not think I had it all,” she said.
Defending state champion Ramiah Elliot of North Central is the top seed at 55.72 seconds. Hann Reuter of Martinsville and Kate Henselmeier of Center Grove are tied for the No. 8 seed at 58.89 seconds. Shannon is seeded 17th out of 27, and will start in lane one of her heat when the event begins at 7:05 p.m.
Imel believes she’s got much more in her than her seed might suggest.
“She’s got a video of her race at regional (and) she’s looking at that and looking at where we can pick up some time,” he said. “We’ve kind of come up with a plan to try to help her out in that way.
“She’s excited about one last opportunity to do something that no other 400 runner in Jay County history has ever done. We’re real excited to compete on Saturday.”
And what will it take for Shannon to walk off the track for the final time and be pleased with her performance, regardless of her time or place?
“If I just give it everything, if I leave dead then I will be happy with myself,” she said. “If I feel like I could have pushed myself more I’ll be disappointed no matter what my time is, but if I can give it all I got that’s all I can do.”
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