By Staff
Kim West, Franklin County Times
Micah McCulloch has been on a track odyssey this summer.
McCulloch, a Russellville High School junior, has spent this summer traveling to three track meets, including the Junior Olympics held at Sacramento State in Walnut, Calif. on July 16-22.
The lithe 5-9, 135-pound McCulloch competed in three events, including the high jump, long jump and triple jump, and won medals in all three events despite competing against the best track athletes in the country.
"Everyone from around the country was there," said McCulloch, who was the only Franklin County athlete in the Alabama delegation. "I did the long jump on Monday, the triple jump on Friday and the high jump on Friday. It was so hot there – the sun just drains you."
McCulloch placed third in the long jump (22.8 1/2), fourth in the high jump (6.0) and eighth in the triple jump (44.3).
"They have preliminaries where everyone gets three jumps for all three categories. Then the top eight gets three more jumps in the finals," McCulloch said.
He said his favorite track event is the long jump, and his hardest event is the triple jump.
" The long jump is my best, because up until that track meet, I had come in first in every meet this year in my age group," McCulloch said. "The hardest event is the triple jump, because you have to focus on what you're doing. If you're not paying attention, you won't make it in the pit. The jump won't count, and will be a scratch – you have to touch the sand."
McCulloch qualified for nationals by winning at the state competition in Birmingham and the regional meet in Lousiana during June.
McCulloch would like to earn a track scholarship to college and major in forensic science, since science is the junior's favorite subject.
"I'd really want to go to LSU or Tennessee," McCulloch said. "My coaches have told me what I needed to do and what the coaches would be looking for … if I can jump 24 feet in the long jump, I would probably get a scholarship."