Photo by Andy Paisley
The Southeastern District is currently the home of the nation's #1 ranked boys triple jumper in Jeffrey Artis of Western Branch as well as national leader on the girls' side with Karimah Shepherd of Grassfield. Artis had already established his name last year as the multi-event athlete helped lead his team to indoor and outdoor track state titles, but Shepherd's name still was not mentioned often enough among the group of top jumpers in the despite being the only Virginian to leap up over 40 feet in the triple jump in 2008.
Shepherd knew though that she was ready to make a statement this season, but maybe not this early in the season. Especially competing in such a technical event as the triple jump, it can be tough for athletes to be sharp at the start of the season. "I knew I would be jumping well but not as early as I have been already. Two 40 foot jumps in the beginning of the season was crazy for me. Some people were saying that the 40 foot I did over the...