Willard's Hicks wins state championship

COLUMBUS — One was an expectation. One was a vast improvement that not many saw coming. Willard seniors LaMya Hicks and Cora Clark both competed in the Division IV long jump state championship Thursday at the state track and field meet at Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University. Hicks' first jump of 18 feet, 2.25 inches stood up for the state championship while Clark took third with a leap of 17-7.5. "Honestly, it's a blessing," Hicks said. "I had faith that I could win it, but you never know what is going to happen. Every day is different. When I got that mark, I had the confidence to know that I had it." Clark barely advanced to the state tournament and brought in the 14th-best seed mark at 16-4. She had jumps of 16-4 and 16-3 on her first two jumps before a foul. Then, she exploded by more than a foot to leap all the way to third place. "It means a lot to me," Clark said. "I didn't even place at regionals. I was eighth. Then to barely make it to finals, jump a PR, and get third place means a lot. It's really exciting to do that." So how in the world did Clark go from eighth at the regional to third in the state? "I have no idea," Clark said. "I think it was my confidence. LaMya was here, and us being together was really good. We bring positivity to each other." Hicks had the target on her back the entire time. She entered with the top seed mark of 18-5.75. "A couple of people asked me what my PR was, and I wanted to tell them a lie," Hicks said. "They already knew. They had eyes on me. I just had to live up to it." And live up to it, Hicks did do. Her first jump was her best. She then went 16-7.75, 17-2.5, and 18 feet before a foul. "It feels awesome," Hicks said. "I've only been doing this for two years. I feel blessed to make it this far in such a short time. I've put a lot of hard work in, and I feel blessed." The two have been able to support each other throughout the season. "It's awesome to be here with her and to be able to jump with her," Hicks said. "She'll be back tomorrow for the high jump, and hopefully she does well then." Clark said advice from Hicks has helped her improve this season. "We help each other out and hype each other up," Clark said. "She mainly tells me the little things to improve. We encourage each other a lot. If one of us is down, we'll go to each other and give a confidence boost." Both are seniors, wrapping up phenomenal careers at Willard. Hicks wanted to thank her coaches, teammates, and those that have supported her. There was a throng of fans cheering as the two girls stood on the podium to receive their medals. "To go out with a bang is everybody's dream," Hicks said. "Who doesn't dream that? It feels amazing, and it's a blessing to wrap up by hitting my goals."