By Michael Newman

DyeStat Illinois Editor

[email protected]

We are happy to announce that Ja’Mari Ward of Cahokia High School is the 2016 DyeStat Illinois Boys Athlete of the Year.

Ward did not pick up any more individual championships like he hoped for in his final visit. Instead, he was sidelined due to a knee injury that occurred during his takeoff in the Triple Jump at the Collinsville Invitational on May 7. Even with the injury, his jump was measured over 47 feet which won him the event. If he was not a state champion, why was Ward chosen ahead of such great athletes like Jon Davis, Sean Torpy, or Darryl Sullivan?

The Cahokia senior did have a great season. Just before his injury, it looked like he was gearing up for some magnificent May performances. This would be the first season that he would not be a part of Cahokia’s relays instead concentrating solely on individual events. His indoor season showed what could be by running a state leading 6.81 to win the Class 2A 60 Meter Dash at the Illinois Top Times Championships. He also won the 200 Meter Dash running 22.23. His horizontal jumps were great jumping indoor seasonal bests of 25-3 ½ (US #3) and 48-11 in the Triple Jump (US #4).

There were two meets that I was fortunate to attend where Ward just amazed the crowd. There were doubts that he would compete at the Belleville West Invitational on April 9. The week before at the Mobile Meet of Champions in Alabama, Ward had injured his groin. Before the meet started, his coach Leroy Milsap stated that they were going to let him warm up and see how he felt. There was doubt especially since it was unseasonably cool for that day (near 46 degrees). You could see the look in Ward’s eyes was that no one was going to keep him out of that meet.

Ward responded with four individual wins. He jumped 24-9 to record the top mark so far that season nationally. He ran and won the 100 Meter Dash. He slowed up approaching the finish line as his injury started to aggravate him. He still ran 10.64. His coaches asked him how he felt. He kept saying that he was going to compete. He just took one jump and his takeoff was not close to the board. Yet his 49-1 effort in the Triple Jump won the event. One hour later, he moved slowly into the blocks of the 200 Meter Dash. He had the lead coming off of the curve. It looked like he slowed up towards the finish but still running 21.05 just shocked everyone.

He was back on the Belleville West Track on April 28 to compete in the St. Clair County Championships. Again, he won four events. It was his jumps that took center stage. On his second attempt, he soared 25-6 ¾ to achieve a personal best and the best jump in the nation. He was able to get in his attempts in the Triple Jump before he headed to his running events. He fouled on his first attempt that looked like it was close to 54 feet. On his second jump, he hit the board dead on. On his takeoff on his final stage of the jump, he let out a giant grunt exerting as much energy as possible towards the pit. He landed and popped out knowing that he had a good one. It was. 53-8 ½ was the best jump ever by an Illinois High School athlete for the event. It was the best jump ever for a high school only meet. According to Jack Shepard of Track and Field News, Ward is the fifth ranked athlete nationally all-time with that performance.

Ward so badly wanted to compete at the state meet. Coach Milsap convinced him that would not be a good idea risking his future. He did not compete for 47 days until the Long Jump Finals at the USATF Junior Nationals in Fresno. On his second attempt, he soared out to a personal best 25-8 ¾ giving him the lead that he would not give up. He was the national junior champion earning him a spot for the national team that would compete at the IAAF Nationals in Poland three weeks later.

Coach Milsap said at the state meet that a 26 foot jump in the Long Jump for Ward was coming. He proved his coach right in the prelims in Poland. On his final preliminary attempt, he hit that mark that he had been shooting for his entire high school career. His 26-1 ½ was a personal best along with the best jump this year nationally. He was the ninth American high school athlete to go that distance or better. He finished sixth in the finals. In his first of what will be many international competitions, it was good.

In a conversation I had with Coach Milsap in Edwardsville during the USATF Youth Championships in 2013, he stated by the time this “freshman” jumper was done with his high school career, he would be one of the best ever in the state and nationally. In Illinois, it is so true. If you look at the all-time national top ten lists for both the Long Jump and Triple Jump, there are only two athletes that appear on both lists. Joe Richardson of Pasadena California jumped 26- ¼ and 53-6 ½ in 1984. Ward is in both lists and has marks better than that of Richardson.

Ward is heading to the University of Missouri this fall and will do some great things in college and beyond. His coach was right four years ago. Ward leaves Illinois High School competition as one of the best athletes ever to come out of this state.

I told people that I was going down to the St. Clair County Championships last April. I was asked why I would drive more than four hours to go to that meet. My reply was simple. “I wanted to go see Ward jump. I might not get the chance to see him again in person.” I’m glad I made that trip at the end of April. He is the athlete that would I would stop just to focus my attention on him.

He is a once in a lifetime student / athlete. I am glad in my lifetime that I had the honor to watch him compete.