Sometimes even the greatest athletes don’t immediately recognize their potential. Whralston Anderson’s meteoric rise in only his second year as a triple jump athlete showed how one can go from zero to hero in the span of months.
The HSMSE junior’s best triple jump in the regular season was 42' 5", boosting his record by a whopping seven feet from his sophomore year. His incredible turnaround qualified him to participate in the New York State Championships.
“I put in a lot of work and figured out what I was trying to do in each event,” Anderson said. “I started staying later whenever I could and I was always looking for what I could do better. I was frustrated at not being good.”
Fueled by his frustration, he worked at improving in multiple events, including the 55m hurdles. This season, he was able to cut his time from 11.05 seconds to 8.88 seconds. Not only did his motivation push him to higher levels; he also received help from the best in the city.
“We’ve also been getting some help from the City College head track coach, his name is Demetrius Murray,” coach Thomas Henning said. “He’s been providing [help]… he was a national triple jump champion, so he [Anderson] got help from people along the way.”
Murray’s help was critical in Anderson’s preparation for the State Championships. Unfortunately, he could not build on his progress, jumping three feet less than his personal record. While Anderson was disappointed to end the season on a sour note, he was very proud of the progress he made.
“[The state championships] wasn’t that great for me personally since I know I could have done better, but I’m definitely proud of what I achieved this season,” he said. “I made unprecedented growth over a couple of months. It was a great experience for me and I am ready to go again next season.”
- Ryan So also contributed to this article.
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