North Brunswick's
Ballard Springs Into
State Record Book
II Y IH)U(; RUTTKR
North Brunswick's Maduka
Ballard, known for his high-flying
dunks on ihc basketball court, has
parlayed his leaping ability into a
state record.
The high school senior set the
regular-season high jump record last
Thursday when he cleared 7 feet, 2
inches, during a track meet in
Leland.
Rick Strunk, director of the N.C.
High School Athletic Association,
said the state didn't have a regular
season record for high jump. So now
it belongs to a Scorpion.
Ballard, whose previous best
competitive jump was 6 feet, 8 inch
es, said it was just one of those days.
"1 never did it in practice. I never
even came close," he said Monday.
"I had a gcxxl day that day. The
weather was good. The wind wasn't
blowing. The sun was out. It was a
good day."
The state championship meet high
jump record is 7 feet, I inch. Darrin
Moore of J.H. Rose High School in
Greenville set that mark in 1987.
Dothcl Edwards of Athens, Ga.,
set the national high school record
of 7 feet, 5 1/4 inches, in 1984.
Ballard's leap would have lied for
second best in the nation last year,
according to Strunk, who chairs the
National Records Committee.
North Brunswick Track Coach
Bob Grimes believes Ballard is the
first Scorpion to set a track and field
record.
Tammy Ballard, who ran track at
North several years ago, came close
when she won the state 100-meter
dash in a time of 12.2 seconds.
High jumpers get three attempts
to clear each height, but Ballard
didn't need them last week. He
didn't miss until he got to 7 feet, 3
inches, where he hit the bar on his
only two attempts.
Grimes said about 100 people
witnessed the last few jumps. The
crowd, mostly North Brunswick
teammates and competitors from
South Brunswick and Whiteville,
flocked to the high jump pit as
Ballard made his assault.
"I was standing at the other end of
the track, and I could hear them
Whiteville
Netters .....
Top South
Cougars
Whitcvillc posted a 7-2 win over
host South Brunswick last Wed
nesday to remain unbeaten in
Waccamaw 2-A Conference boys'
tennis.
The Cougars' match at West
Brunswick was postponed Monday
due to windy conditions. It will be
made up today (Thursday).
Singles: Shclbume (W) dcf.
Yount, 6-0, 7-6; Folding (SB) dcf.
Young, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4; Eichman (W)
dcf. Williams, 6-0, 6-1; Black (SB)
def. Arlington, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; Nic
holson (W) dcf. Short, 6-1, 6-1;
Demetrius (W) dcf. Poulk, 7-6, 6-1 .
Doubles: Shclbume and Arring
ton (W) dcf. Yount and Black, 8-2;
Young and Eichman (W) def.
Folding and Williams, 8-5; Nichol
son and Hudson (W) dcf. Poulk and
West, 8-4.
West Tennis Team
Beats East Bladen
West Brunswick's tennis team
beat East Bladen 5-4 last Wednes
day to improve to 3-1 in the Wac
camaw 2-A Conference and 3-2
overall.
The Trojans' home match against
South Brunswick Monday was post
poned until today (Thursday) due to
windy conditions.
West Brunswick was to host
Whiteville Wednesday, and will re
sume play April 27 with a home
match against Fairmont following
Easter break.
tiave a Safe and
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rftrvr r nW IV Dl UVUV RU I I C1
MADUKA HALIARD clears the high jump bar with ease during practice Monday. The North
Brunswick senior set a state record last week when he cleared 7 feet, 2 inches.
clapping every lime he cleared it,"
Grimes said. "He likes that. He re
sponds to the crowd."
Ballard admitted the competitors
turned-spectators got him fired up.
"Everybody was hyped up," he re
called. "It seemed like the whole
school was standing around watch
ing."
The 6-foot-2-inch Ballard only
started running track last spring and
said his best jump of the season was
6 feet, 7 inchcs.
I , , , , .
He won the conference high jump
with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inchcs, even
after spraining an ankle and chang
ing the fool that he uses to push olt.
Coach Grimes said Ballard's nat
ural jumping ability has gotten him
to 6 feet, 10 inchcs, this year and
now he's working more on form.
"He realizes from this point on
his gains arc going to come through
leg strength and technique," Grimes
said.
Besides the high jump, Ballard
competes in the 200-meter run and
is a member of North's 400-meter
relay team.
the coach says participating in
those events will only help Ballard's
high jumping. Running will
strengthen his legs, which means
Ballard should be even stronger for
the key events at the end of the sea
son.
Grimes said his high jumper has
"Olympic potential" and will have
three chances this spring to qualify
for the Olympic trials in June.
To qualify, Ballard will have to
clcar at least 7 feet. 4 inches, in a
track and Held competition sanc
tioned by The Athletics Congress.
There's one coming up May 2 at
Wake Forest University. Ballard al
so will have a chance to qualify at
the regional and state championships
later in May.
"Realistically, he has a shot at it if
he jumps well," Grimes said. "He
has the raw ability and we're wo
ing on the technique."
If Ballard doesn't qualify for the
Olympic trials this summer, there's
always 1996. In the meantime, a col
lege scholarship isn't out of the
question.
"He's a gtxxl student, and he
works hard" Grimes said. "Guys
that can jump 6-6 arc a dime a
dozen, but 7 feet is a different at
mosphere."
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