Soul's all gold at meet
WHITEHALL — Bronte Soul always wants to be the best.
Although the Freeport senior believes she could have done better at Thursday's WPIAL Class AA Track and Field Championships — with two gold medals wrapped around her neck — she's not complaining.
Soul won the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet, 7 inches, then came back later to claim the long jump at 17-2.75.
Soul was also a member of the seventh-place 400-meter relay team along with Aly Moore, Danica Durand and Dava Jack.
“My goal in these competitions is to beat all the Class AA and AAA girls,” who just came up short in that regard against the Class AAA winners.
“Actually, I'm glad. I'm happy, but a little disappointed,” Soul added.
Mars' Lydia Dennis was the Class AAA winner (37-9.5) while Maddie Holmberg of Hempfield won the long jump (17-9).
“It's been a real fun competition between the two of us,” Soul said of Dennis. “She always seems to get the best of me, but at this point, I made it to states. Now, I hope I win it.”
Self-motivation has always been the key with Soul, who envisions everyone she's seen who is better than her and uses what they've done to get better.
While she enjoys the triple jump immensely — “that's my event” — she has learned to take the other jumps in stride.
“In the long jump, I'm not adept to it,” Soul said. “Normally, I say I can't stand it, but now, it's not my least favorite.
“When I said today I was excited to (high jump), my coach, she said, 'Seriously?'”
In the long jump, Soul already had the lead entering her sixth and final jump of the competition. She had a 17-2, which was good enough to lead, but tacked on a few more inches.
With the PIAA Championships looming next weekend at Shippensburg University, Soul has her eyes set for an even bigger prize.
“As of right now, I do what I have to do in these last couple of meets to get here,” Soul remarked on the WPIAL finals. “Now, I have to do what I have to do to get to state.
Now, 40 feet and 18 feet are my new goals,” Soul added.
Soul has already set personal bests this year with marks of 39-7 and 17-7.5. Baldwin is not considered the ideal jumping venue, so Soul is anxious to see what comes next.
“My goal coming in was three medals regardless of whether they were gold or not,” Soul said.
Rachel Kubeldis had a fifth-place finish in the 1,600 (5;27.29), the only other Yellowjacket — male or female — that qualified for the state championship .
