Notre Dame's Greg Lauray competes at the PIAA State Championships (Photo by Patty Morgan)
We are spending the next month or so counting down the top 20 moments of the 2015-2016 year in Pennsylvania track and field and cross country. We brought you the District 2 domination in AA XC this past fall. Today, we switch gears to the greatest breakthrough performer of the year in PA track and field, Notre Dame's Greg Lauray.
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As the editor of PennTrackXC, every once in a while when sifting through the countless amount of results sent my way, there's a performance or two that makes you do a double take. That was just the case for me in late March when I saw that a Greg Lauray from Notre Dame-Green Pond had cleared 6-10 in the high jump at a dual meet against Wilson.
Lauray didn't have previous performances on file, but after confirming it with coaches, it was true---he had actually cleared 6-10 making him the first PA athlete to do so since 2014. Not only that, but it came in his first meet ever! We later learned that Lauray, a basketball player by trade, didn't even know what the high jump was, let alone how to jump shortly before the start of the outdoor season. But just like that, a star was born.
Lauray took fifth at the historic Penn Relays (Photo by Patty Morgan)
After his big debut, Lauray didn't touch that 6-10 mark again for a while. He did win some invites and placed fifth against some of the best competition in the nation and beyond at the Penn Relays. But at the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference/Colonial League Champs, something special happened.
Lauray went over 7-0 to set a meet record, but decided he was done. Shortly after, he cleared 7-1, the best jump by a Pennsylvania prep since Plymouth Whitemarsh's Tyrone Smith's 7-2.5 from 1985. That ended up being the eighth best jump in the United States in 2016. Watch his historic jump over at LehighValleyLive.com.
Lauray went on to win the state title in the AAA boys high jump in a close compeititon with defending champion of Qayyim Ali and his teammate Terrance Massey-Porter, both from Williamsport. Lauray cleared 6-10 for the win. Watch Lauray's interview after winning the AAA state title below:
The junior from Notre Dame made for one of the most remarkable breakthroughs of 2016. Lauray's performance this season leaves us wondering, 'what else does he have in store?' He'll be a senior next season and with some more training and experience under his belt, it's certainly a possibility that the state record could be in danger.
After states, Lauray wasn't ready to say he's a track athlete over a basketball player...yet.
"I do like basketball a lot better, but if the opportunities are in track, then I'll do track," he said.
Only time will tell.