South Brunswick's Courteney Campbell Wins the High Jump at 2016 Meet of Champions

South Brunswick, NJ - When she first tried the high jump, Courteney Campbell couldn’t even clear the beginner height. Several people told her “maybe this sport isn’t for you,” she recalled.

But the South Brunswick High School student, then a sophomore, didn’t listen.

“Instead, I turned it turned into motivation,” Campbell told Patch. “I developed a passion for getting better, not just for myself but also for my team.”

She trained all year, working with a physical trainer, and coaches Dan Mura and Stefan Moorhead. And the results paid off: She soon became the top high jumper for the SBHS girls’ team.

“My coaches knew I had potential and they pushed and guided me through each meet,” Campbell said.

On Saturday, now a junior, Campbell was the only girl to clear 5-6 height at NJSIAA Indoor Track and Field Meet of Champions, held at Bennett Center in Toms River. That made Campbell South Brunswick’s first female indoor track Meet of Champions winner.

“Once I got over the bar it was a surreal moment,” she said. “I remained extremely focused and relaxed through each jump. Before I jumped the 5’6, my coach told me, ‘You can do this. Jump as high as you can, you can do it.’ I took what he said into my mind before I jumped and gained extreme confidence.”

She also cleared 5-2, 5-4 and 5-6 on her first attempts Saturday.

“After I won, I just thought about my progression as an athlete and how all the hard work paid off,” she said. “I just keep thanking my coaches and team because they pushed me and supported me even when I had not-so-amazing days. With my track family by my side anything is possible.”

Photo: Courteney Campbell with High Jump Coach Dan Mura at the Meet of Champs at the Bennet Indoor Athletic Center in Toms River.