Patton shines for Earlham
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Talk about making a short season go a long way.
Moniteau graduate Jake Patton has mastered such a trick at Earlham College.
A versatile sophomore track and field athlete for the Quakers, Patton set two school records and tied another during the indoor season. He also placed among the top five in five events at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships.
Earlham, a Division III program, placed second as a team in that meet, its highest finish in program history.
“Jake was a big part of that,” first-year Earlham College track coach Emily Lawrence said. “There is no limit as to how many events you can enter an athlete in at a meet. A lot of that depends on the meet's schedule.
“We enter Jake in as many events as we can without wearing him out. He can do almost any of them and score for us.”
At the HCAC Indoor Championships, Patton placed second in the 60-meter hurdles and 200 meters, third in the triple jump, fifth in the long jump and helped Earlham's 4x200 meter relay grab a fifth-place finish.
The 4x200 set a school record this season. Patton broke his own 60-meter hurdle record with a time of 8.46 seconds and tied the 200 mark at 23.21 seconds.
“Helping the team make history was a good feeling,” Patton said. “Our goal is to get to first place in the conference.”
He's doing a pretty good job making history on his own, too.
“I want to improve my own p.r.'s (personal records), try some new events and break some more records,” Patton said. “I'd love to break the 110-meter hurdle record outdoors. It's stood for 98 years here and I think I can get it.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic knocking out this spring's outdoor season, Patton's quests are on hold until next year.
He's keeping plenty busy during the interim.
With plans on competing in the heptathlon during the indoor season and decathlon in outdoor, Patton is taking on events he's never done before. The heptathlon consists of the 60 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.
“I was able to get one pole vault practice in before everything was shut down,” Patton said. “I cleared 11-5, going over the bar backwards. I didn't have much form. I just ran as fast as I could and went for it.
“Once I get some practice in ... I want to go over 12 feet next year.”
He's already prepping for it.
“Jake called me to ask for some things he can do to work out on his own,” Lawrence said. “I told him to get some rope strong enough to hold him, tie it to a tree and work on his grips and form on it ... He said he already built it.
“I told him to get a chin-up bar set up so he can do pull-ups, chin-ups, to work on strength ... He said he already built it. His work ethic is admirable. He always works so hard at every event. He enjoys it.
“When he does hit a snag or a setback in something, it doesn't go to his head. He stays positive,” she added.
The decathlon consists of the 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters.
“I was looking forward to doing the decathlon this spring,” Patton said. “I take pride in my versatility on the track. It keeps things interesting.”
Patton is majoring in chemistry at Earlham.
“I know he will qualify at the national level eventually,” Lawrence said. “Jake never stops pushing himself. He's self-motivated. He'll get there.”
