A lot of lives changed the day a track coach/biology teacher walked down the school hallway past a familiar-looking girl and her mother.
Winning the 200 in 23.85
"I stopped in the office to see if she was enrolling and the secretary told me to ask in the guidance office," said Ron Morris, track coach at Laurel Highlands High School. "As soon as she started talking to me she was all smiles."
After speaking with the girl for a few minutes Morris realized she was Breehana Jacobs of Uniontown High — the freshman who had won the WPIAL 100 meter championship the year before. She had also taken eighth in the Class 3A PIAA 100 championship.
And she was indeed transferring to district rival Laurel Highlands. "Obviously I became all smiles," Morris said.
That was 18 months ago and Jacobs, now a junior, has done a lot more than just defend her WPIAL crown. Last year she became the first-ever individual or team girl state champion at Laurel Highlands when she won the 100.
This year she also decided she liked the 200 a lot more (despite losing the indoor state title on a disqualification) and the slimly built sprinter easily picked up the outdoor title at Shippensburg along with defending her 100 crown.
"She's taken the team to a new level," Morris said. Whether or not it's directly related to Jacobs' success "I've never had a better freshman class. We had a freshman high jumper finish 10th in the state (Jessica Zavatchen, one of several to tie for 10th at 5-0). (Jacobs) makes kids believe that if she can do it they can do it too."
Not only has Jacobs brought gold to the Laurel Highlands track program but she's broken its records in the 60-meter dash (indoors), the 100, 200, the long jump and as part of the 400- and 1,600-meter relays.
Along with those records she ran 11.47 in the finals of the 100, a new PIAA Class 3A record, but officials declared the time was wind-aided. The record is 11.66 set in 1985 by Tonja Stevens of Peabody High. In the 200 she ran 23.85, just ticks off the 23.77 set in 2003 by Krista Simkins of Wissahickon.
"It was unfortunate that (the 100 time) was wind-aided but a rule's a rule so end of story," Morris said. At states last Saturday Jacobs just took the record denial in stride.
"I wish it hadn't been wind-aided because I wanted the record but I'm just happy I ran that time," she said last week.
Had the time counted it also would've broken the Class2A record, set by Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams.
That's not much of a shock to Jacobs or her coach because Jacobs, who has competed on the national level since taking up the sport in eighth grade, has broken several records set by Williams, they said.
"It's an honor to know I'm up there with those athletes at this level," she said last week. Morris said they are keeping a low profile when it comes to comparing Jacobs to Williams because Jacobs still has a long way to go.
Just after winning the 100 in 11.47w (photo by Karen Ward)
That journey includes a full summer schedule with the Nike Outdoor Nationals meet and the Junior national championships before Jacobs takes her traditional month off in August.
Along the way she'll have a ton of family support like she did in Shippensburg last week. "My family, my cousins are here," Jacobs said lastSaturday. "The hotel has a lot of my family and friends in it."
Morris said that Jacobs' stepfather, who she referred to her as her dad, has really played a big part in things.
"Her family support is phenomenal," Morris said. "Her stepdad works with her all the time." He added that some of her family traveled from down South to see her run at states.
And then there's next year. "Don't be surprised to see her in a third event at states," Morris said. "But I'm not going to say which."
