Senior Spencer McCloud came home with his second track and field state championship gold this past weekend.
According to Spencer’s father, Jerod McCloud, Spencer felt so much more pressure to win state than in the past two seasons. This year for him, second was not an option and it was this expectation he placed on himself that drove him to excellence. He had two goals in mind going into the state track meet and that was to win and to jump 7′.
“Spencer has grown as an athlete and is beginning to understand that performance was a result of his physical training as well as to what he was eating,” Mr. McCloud said. “He has shown great dedication to these two areas this season. It’s not always easy to convince an 18 year old who can eat anything to not eat the cheesburger and fries and to leave the Frosty’s shakes alone but after the regional meet he became totally commited until after the state meet.”
McCloud’s father, Jerod McCloud has been working with Spencer for years on his strength, conditioning, and jump training.
It was a very emotional weekend, and I know Spencer felt a great deal of pressure to go back and win it again,” Mr. McCloud said.
Last year McCloud set a state record with his jump of 6’8″, and this year he was able to match that record again, earning him another gold. McCloud had broken his state record at the Liberty High School meet earlier in the year with a jump of 6’10”, so at state he tried for a personal best.
“He never let any of the other competitors ever feel they had an advantage and did not miss on any attempts until he had won,” Mr. McCloud said. “None of us had discussed what he would do if he won at a height under 6’10. He has jumped 6’10 a couple of times already.”
Mr. McCloud was pleased that Spencer showed he was there to go for it all when the official moved the height board from 6’8 to 7′.
“I didn’t make the 7′, but it was fine though because my earlier performance was flawless,” Spencer McCloud said. “I was really happy with the meet overall.”
McCloud, along with junior pole-vaulter John Michael Pucciarello, and the girls 4×4 relay team of juniors Brooke Robertson, Laine Lowry, Taylor Mueller, and sophomore Cassie Hargroves all qualified for the state meet, but only McCloud came home with a medal. Pucciarello ended with a 7th place, and the girls team finished 6th place.
Boys pole-vaulting coach Tommy Ledford said that Pucciarello had been jumping 15’6″ in practice the week before state, but at the end of the meet they “just didn’t have enough wind” to get the job done.
“Pucciarello had a great season,” Ledford said. “He jumped a ht of 14’6” as his personal best on the year. He was one of the top 3 guys there.”
Ledford had hoped to return with two others to the state meet, but juniors Reece Thompson got Mono and Dalton Ledford broke a vertebrae in his lower back.
“If all three of them jump next year,” Ledford said. “We could be the first team in Texas history to get 3 kids to the state meet in boys pole vaulting.”
The season was successful on many fronts, and disappointing on others.
“We had a state champion in Spencer McCloud, but our numbers of state qualifiers was down,” head boys coach Steve Chancellor said. “The most disappointing aspect was in our health.”
Junior Chance Bode (a 5 event athlete last year) was out for the season. Junior Reese Thompson (another 5 event athlete that had a chance to qualify in multiple events) got Mono before the district meet. Connor Wilson was not able to recover from his hip injury during football until midway through track season, and was just starting to compete when track ended. Dalton Ledford (qualified for state in the PV last year) broke a bone in his back and could not compete in PV this season.”
For the girls, the season was one of the hardest they had encountered, with the competition at district changing and getting much tougher, the road to state was a very difficult one.
“I’m very proud of the girls,” head girls coach Kathy Olson said. “This was the toughest competition we have faced at State. Not just one team, but the entire field came in with times within 6 seconds. I am proud of the girls. The team did great. They worked hard all season to accomplish the goals set before them this year.”
Although the girls were not that happy with their results at state, as juniors, they should all be able to return next year, and that gives them hope.
“Nothing seemed to be working right for this meet,” junior Laine Lowry said. “But we will be back next year.”
Both the girls and boys plan to have a better season next year.
“Next year we face the same tough competition at every level,” Olson said. “We will prepare for those each week with our strong work ethic and set goals to accomplish.”
And next year has great potential according to Chancellor.
“We only lost 4 seniors,” he said. “If the juniors on the team stay healthy and compete in track next year, it could be a special season.”
For the McCloud family, with Spencer’s two track & field state championships, a basketball state championship, and a future as a college track athlete at UT Austin in the fall, they “will be moving on to bigger things.”
“There are many talented individuals who will be returing next year,” Mr. McCloud said. “It is going to be enjoyable to sit back and watch these kids develop and continue to carry on the tradition of excellence.”
