Darlage excited for regional jumps tonight

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Bryson Darlage says he likes tracks where the high jump and long jump events are close together.

He said he enjoyed competing in those events at Seymour’s home meets during his career and is looking forward to jumping in the Bloomington North Regional tonight.

Darlage, who has been doing track since seventh grade, qualified for the regional in the long jump by placing third in the Bedford North Lawrence Sectional last week. He also got a chance to high jump in the regional when a jumper who finished ahead of him at sectional withdrew for the regional.

This will be Darlage’s second straight trip to the regional in those events.

“I like (Bloomington North),” he said. “The facilities are really nice.”

He said technique is important in both events, and that includes marking off his steps.

His best long jump has been 21-8, and he qualified for the regional at 20-10.25.

“I would say the buildup to a good long jump is probably the most difficult thing that I’ve had to do in track. High jump is, obviously, a close second,” Darlage said. “On your buildup to the box, if you mess it up, even if it’s just a square inch, it can throw your whole steps off, so you have to stay consistent, so I’ll start it with some big steps. Then I’ll work into medium speed. Then when I get about halfway there, I’ll bust it and I’ll be at 100% speed, and I’ll be able to lift myself off and get as far as I can.”

In the big meets, like conference, sectional and regional, all of the competitors get three jumps in the trials. Then the top jumpers get three more jumps in the finals.

Darlage said, “Usually, my best jumps would come in the trials, and the trials will carry over to the finals. But in the sectional, I actually qualified for the regional with my very last jump. So every jump, I’ve got to give it my all because you never know which one will be the one that pushes you through.”

He high jumped 5-10 in the sectional, and he has cleared 6 feet in competition and 6-2 in practice.

He said he tries to be consistent with his approach.

“At the beginning, I’ll take a short step. Then I’ll progressively gain speed as I get closer to the bar,” he said. “I’ll swing my arms around the side of me when I get close, and I put all my momentum into my left foot. I’ll tilt my back to where it’s got a good flex so I can get up and over the bar where my hips stay up and my feet follow.

“I curve around to the right, and I always jump off my left foot. I do the same thing every time. Usually, I’ll start about 5-6,” he said. “The thing I enjoy most is just the feeling I get whenever I clear a height, knowing that I felt really good. It just makes you feel really good inside, and I bend my body in such a way, pretty much graceful to a certain point, I just like the feeling of clearing each height.”

He looks forward to the competition tonight.

“I think it is going to be a really fun time,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy it the best I can. I’m going to stay positive and I’m going to go in fired up, get my adrenaline where it needs to be and just be out there and compete with anybody.

“I’m always going to go out there and give it my best and see if I can beat everybody there, and if I do, it’s kudos to me, I guess. You have to stay humble. You have to stay consistent and stay driven.”

At SHS, Darlage said, “I’ve enjoyed all the friends I’ve made. I hope all the long-term friendships I’ve made here. Track has been amazing. I’ve loved every single coach that I’ve had. I’ve loved how competitive we are, how focused we are, and how everybody works hard.”

After he graduates from SHS, he wants to get into the real estate business as soon as possible.

Jackson County regional qualifiers:

Brownstown Central

4×800 relay: Chance Ratliff, Bradley Edwards, Damien Owens, Shane Ratliff

4×100 relay: Caleb Cummings, Jack Pace, Isiaah Engle, Hudson Fritz

4×400 relay: Gregory Hutcheson, Garrett Driver, Lane Zike, Engle

100: Fritz

200: Cummings

400: Driver

300 hurdles: Engle, Hutcheson

3200: C. Ratliff

Seymour

High jump: Bryson Darlage

Long jump: Darlage

200: Jesse Mellencamp

400: Jaylan Johnson, Josh Rennekamp

800: Michael Brooks

1600: Jude Bane

3200: Bane

4×100 relay: Logan Shelley, Mason Nugent, Mellencamp, Devon Jackson

4×400 relay: Jackson, Brooks, Rennekamp, Johnson

Trinity Lutheran

110 hurdles: Jake Holland

Crothersville

3200: Dirk Crater

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