Klein, Sulya Both Set Personal Records at State

Mehlville’s two state track qualifiers had never been to the massive state track meet at Jefferson City’s Lincoln University.

However, the atmosphere must have worked in their favor, as junior triple-jumper Carly Klein and high-jumper Mike Sulya both set personal records on Saturday.

“It’s a lot harder than usual,” Sulya said. “But just the vibe you get being here helps you do it better, it helped me."

It also helped Klein jump 35 feet, 1.5 inches, securing her 12^th place in the state meet and setting a personal record.

“I was disappointed with myself, but then I thought back, and said ‘I’m at state,’” she said. ‘I wish I would have done better, but I have next year.”

With the weather impeding practice, Klein and her coach, Chris Cook, said they worked on technique and approaches to prepare for state.

After jumping 35 feet, 1.5 inches in her second jump, Klein was sure her third one was the best yet, but was called for a foul, slightly over the line.

“I thought that would have made the finals, and then turned around and saw I scratched,” she said.

Even with the scratch, setting a personal record proved a good first showing at state.

“She did very well,” Cook said. “She’s a junior so there’s another year. She started out at 32, 33 (feet) last year, she began this season at 32 and ended at 35."

Next year Klein said she definitely wanted to make it to the state finals and beat Mehlville’s school record of 37 feet, ¾ of an inch.

“She’s a hard worker,” Cook said. “She comes in and is just a talented girl.”

At the high jump, Sulya jumped 6 feet, 3 inches, one inch better than his personal record.

“He did a great job,” boys coach Jay Holtmeyer said. “He jumped as well as he needed to and he bettered his jump. He had jumped 6’2’’ previously so he went an inch higher.”

Before coming up on 6-feet, 3-inches, Sulya had not missed a jump. After hitting the bar twice on the mark, Sulya walked over to his coach for advice.

“I think he was hitting it with his arm and looking at the bar,” Holtmeyer said.  “When you do that, you’ll hit it. I told him to look up.”

And look up he did, clearing the height on the third try.

“I was just thinking in my head ‘I got this, I got this, I got this,’ the whole time and I just imagined it was lower than 6-3,” Sulya said. “I just jumped and did everything coach taught me.”

Sulya was up against tough competition, Holtmeyer said. Several of the jumpers had their best leaps of the year, with Jordan Warner of William Chrisman High School taking first with a jump of 6-feet, 7-inches.

“I feel he had the height cleared, he cleared the height, it was simply his arm that hit it,” Holtmeyer said. "I would have liked it had he come in top eight but with a PR and the way he was jumping, I thought he competed very well with these jumpers."

Just one inch separated Sulya from eighth place, who couldn’t clear the 6-foot, 4-inch mark, placing him at 11th overall.

“I plan on coming back here and getting in the top eight and setting a PR,” Sulya said. “It sounds like a lot, but I’m going to do it.”

Holtmeyer said Sulya just needed to work on his form for next year.

“At his height, and his caliber, a lot of it is just small subtle things,” he said. “He’s got a great approach, good speed, good height and good intensity. A lot of time with high school kids, one year maturity, they grow and get stronger and one year they come back and its like they’re different people.”

Aside from his talent on the track, Holtmeyer said taking Sulya to state for the first time was a joy.

“One thing, I like about Mike,” Holtmeyer said. “He’s one of the nicest kids I’ve had. Respectful, always works hard, focused, I’ve really enjoyed having him; it makes it worthwhile.”