Soaring towards state

Superior High School senior Nicole Stroot is flying high in the long jump this season for the Bobcats. Her key to success? A lot of mental toughness and heart.

Whether it’s on the basketball or volleyball court or in the long jump event on the track – Nicole Stroot soars.

The Superior High School senior can still remember first trying out the long jump in fifth grade during track and field day and doing “really well.” Stroot stuck with the event into high school and the dedication is paying off – she hasn’t lost the event all season and her best jump of the year (17 feet, 5.5 inches) broke a record at the Russ Pilcher Western Montana Top 10 meet earlier this month.

“It felt like I soared,” Stroot said of the record breaking jump.

Although Stroot said she “likes” winning, what keeps her coming back for more in the long jump is the mental toughness needed to excel in it.

“I love it,” Stroot said. “You have to take into consideration things like the wind for example and you always have to be consistent on the board. There is so much technical stuff that it is a lot to take in. Every step has to be the exact same step every time. It’s really easy to scratch.”

When her unique style in the event was brought up – Stroot tends to stretch her arms completely out when she makes her jumps – the senior laughed and said she isn’t sure why her approach is so different.

“They tell me to reach for my toes so I guess I am really bringing my arms around for it,” Stroot said. “It works for me.”

Practice is what has separated Stroot from the competition year after year in the event and the hours upon hours spent perfecting her technique are not without a lighthearted moment or two.

“One day at practice I was doing a run through and I just fell,” Stroot said. “Sand went up my nose, up my shirt - it was awful. Never done it in a meet though – knock on wood.”

Stroot competes in a variety of events in track meets including the 100 and 300-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash. She also ran the 200-meter at the Whitefish A.R.M. Invitational on Saturday and finished in fourth.

“We are just trying to see what I am best at with districts coming up,” Stroot said.

In Whitefish Stroot won the Long Jump, placed second in the 100-meter hurdle and fifth in the 100-meter dash. Teammates Genneva Plakke and Kinzie Cooper also had strong showings at the meet, with Plakke earning second in the 3,200-meter race and Cooper placing second in the pole vault.

The strong showing has Stroot and her teammates thinking as a team headed into the state tournament and they hope to make a strong showing.

“This year we are looking for the team to win, for the girls,” Stroot said. “We never really thought that we could win state because we never really thought we had enough girls. Mr. Cox always knew that we could win state so it would be really special to do it this year in his memory – it’s our motivation. “

Even though track is primarily focused on individual efforts, Stroot said there is still a team aspect to competing.

“We always cheer each other on, especially Geneva when she is running distance – we pick corners of the track and cheer,” Stroot said. “We are always cheering each other on for each event.”

After the state meet Stroot will graduate from Superior and face a dilemma – she has a basketball scholarship to play in Dillon but with her success in track this year is unsure on what sport to pursue at a four-year level.

“I already went there (to Dillon) and practiced with the team but people are saying ‘what about track’ and I am thinking about it so I still have to figure all that out,” Stroot said. “Track is more specified in your events – you depend on yourself which can be nice. But in basketball you are on a team and I think I would rather be on a team because you make memories with the other girls and it’s really fun.”