Charleston – Adrienne Truman felt the sting of disappointment a year ago.
She felt she should’ve been a high jump state champion but fell just short.
This year she cleared the bar.
The Nicholas County junior registered a high jump of 5-foot-2, claiming the Class AA girls high jump title at the State Track Meet Friday at Laidley Field in Charleston.
Nervous to the core a year ago, Truman spent the year working on the mental side of the sport. It paid off.
“I was a little bit nervous but nowhere near as bad as I was for the past few years,” Truman smiled. “But I’m just going to shake it off now.”
Coming into the day, Truman had a number in mind she needed to hit in order to claim a title. Having hit 5-foot-4.25 earlier in the year , she boasted the best height in the state coming into the title meet. She didn’t hit that mark but ended up where she wanted.
“I thought 5-foot-2 would win it for me and it did,” Truman said. “That was the number I had in mind.”
After winning, Truman grabbed her necklace almost subconsciously. It represented a friend of hers, Bri Broyles, who passed away in August of 2021. Truman high jumps because of Broyles, as the two jokingly tried their hands at it when they were younger.
“We were both actually pretty good at it,” Truman said after the regional meet. “And sadly she passed away in August of 2021. So I feel like I’m doing this for her. Now. The necklace that I wear every meet, I wear it for her.”
A basketball player at heart, Truman picked up the sport up and ran with it. In addition to sporting the gold necklace that represents her friend, she also wore a rubber bracelet with #BelikeBri printed on it. On the other side was the Bible verse John 16:22, which reads, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
Truman was full of joy, Friday, winning a title in the sport she picked up with a friend.
“It feels awesome,” Truman said. “I give all glory to God! He’s really helped me. Getting a closer relationship with him has helped me with mentally as well. I just feel really good about it.”
Truman is no longer pretty good. She’s the best.
