By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

Harrison Crofts didn’t have his initial starting spot marked correctly, but the South Effingham senior finished exactly where he hoped to be Friday – at the top of the field in the high jump at the Class 5A State Track and Field Championships in Rome, Ga.

“I was a little shaky at first,” Crofts said.

And after an early miss, “My brain started going crazy,” Crofts said.

But the US Naval Academy signee made the necessary adjustments and didn’t miss again until 6-10. Both Crofts and Villa Rica’s Jermaine King cleared 6-8 and failed to make 6-10, but Crofts had fewer misses along the way to earn a coveted state title.

“You can see the difference. Last year, he was jumping 6-4. This year 6-10. Give credit to his hard work and credit Coach (Haywood) Ellison,” SEHS track coach Rico Campbell said.

Crofts became South’s first track and field state champion since Cameron Edwards won the Class 6A triple jump in 2022.

It was the same year Crofts said his friends Noah Drayer, Alejandro Higareda and Alarik Gibson convinced him to join the track team. Crofts was already playing football and basketball.

“I was on the fence,” he said.

 But his decision was made a little easier because his junior varsity basketball coach, Ellison, was an assistant track coach, overseeing the jumpers.

“I told Coach Ellison, ‘I trust you to put me in the right position’,” said Crofts, who struggled in the high jump as a freshman and sophomore before finding his technique. As a junior, he set the school high jump record at 6-7 and continued his escalator ride to state elite this season while hitting a school-record 6-10 to win the region meet in Statesboro.

He was the top seed in Class 5A heading into state.

Crofts said he was excited and ready to compete. He got 11 hours of sleep the night before and had a breakfast of eggs and fruit before his 1:30 p.m. event on the cloudy day.

But he just couldn’t get his mark right – usually a comfortable run of 19 steps to the bar.

“I made my first jump (at 6-2), but it didn’t feel like my best,” Crofts said.

Then he missed his first jump at 6-4. You get three tries. He made his second attempt. Then made 6-6, then 6-8.

Meanwhile, King made 6-4 and 6-6 without a problem. But he missed his first two jumps at 6-8 before making the third and last try.

King’s two misses proved to be the difference. Crofts had just one miss at 6-4.

Crofts said he celebrated the win later that night with his family at the Cheesecake Factory. The prized dish? Lemon raspberry cream cheese cake.

Crofts found the right first step, won a state championship and views his future optimistically.

“Obviously, God blessed me to pursue track at the next level,” Crofts said. “I’m excited. 7-6, 7-7 are Olympic qualifying heights. With college training, the sky’s the limit for me.”

ECHS’ Nease ties for second in girls’ high jump

Effingham County’s Braylin Nease overcame an injured back to tie for second place in the girls’ state high jump later Friday afternoon.

Rebels coach Jordan Brown said Nease hurt her back at practice on Wednesday, but 48 hours later, the junior was perfect before falling short at 5-4, the height that ultimately won the event.

“I know she’s a little disappointed, but she pulled through the pain,” Brown said. “She was consistent throughout the year. She had a great season.”

South Effingham’s Justine Nevels and Kymberlea Coppin, along with Nease, gave the high jump some local intrigue. Nevels, who was second last season as a freshman, also cleared 5-2 but couldn’t advance farther and finished fifth because of an earlier miss.

Coppin got stuck at 4-10 and tied for 12th.

Mustang sophomore Danni Lynn made state in the discus. She had a throw of 110-10, tying the sixth-place thrower Amari Evans, but had a better second throw than Lynn to bump her to seventh.

“All four (Mustangs including Crofts) put in the work and were rewarded,” Campbell said. “You’re not just showing up to get a t-shirt.”

Former Mustang Crickard wins at state

Former Mustang Brooke Crickard, who still holds the school record in the 800, won Class A, Division 2 state championships in the 400- and 800-meter runs for Washington-Wilkes High School in Albany.

Crickard won the 400 with a time of 59.52 seconds and doubled up on the 800 with a time of 2:18.97.

Last season as a freshman, Crickard posted a time of 2:17.33 at the Bob Hayes Invitational to set SEHS’ 800 mark.