Simmons to use county championship as launch pad for state title

Niegel Simmons rediscovered his confidence Thursday at York.

It had been dodging the South Pointe senior long-jumper for much of the spring, popping in to say hello then slipping away before Simmons could fully grip it.

He finally did during the Bob Jenkins York County track and field championship meet, jumping 23 feet, 0.5 inches to win the county championship for the second year running. York’s Ke’trael Lytle finished second but even he had to give it up to the champ, exchanging a high five, then hissing “dang!” as he turned away.

“Anybody, if they jump better than me and I’ve been leading the whole way, it just gets me fired up,” said Simmons. “I just get really mad and let it all out in the pit.”

After winning the county meet in 2015, Simmons went on to finish second in the region and at the 3A state meet, placing behind Broome’s Desmond Anderson both times.

Simmons entered last summer full of self-belief but he trained for about three months without a coach, tinkered unnecessarily with his long jump process and mechanics, and found himself out of whack at the start of the 2016 season.

“This year’s been kind of shaky,” he said. “That was actually my first 23 (foot jump) of the whole season.”

Simmons is starting to hit a groove, though, and just in time. South Pointe track and field coach Calvin McCullough thinks the pressure his standout jumper has put on himself has been positive, especially when combined with the usual senior desperation that creeps into spring sports athletes around April.

Simmons is a diligent workaholic and McCullough has to run him off after practice many nights.

“More than a great athlete, he’s a great person,” said McCullough. “That’s the kind of person you want your daughter to date.”

Simmons is also highly motivated, though the sources differ. One is the proud lineage of Stallion long-jumpers.

Pat Burris Jr., won the school’s first boys’ long jump state championship, before Montay Crockett won back to back titles. Crockett - who played football at Georgia Southern - still owns the school record of well over 24 feet.

“I look at the leaderboards and those guys were jumping really good jumps,” said Simmons, who has a 3.5 GPA.

Simmons has climbed to No. 2 on that leaderboard, and he’d love to add a state title to his resume, especially since he’s still chasing college track and field possibilities. McCullough thinks a 3A state championship is a definite possibility.

“It only takes one good jump,” he said. “As hard as he works, I think he’s got a pretty good chance of being a state champion. Hopefully next week he can be the region champion and then take that momentum into the state qualifier and the state meet.”

Lytle and Simmons were the final two jumpers Thursday. Lytle, urged on by a group of his teammates, threw himself into the pit. The mark was carefully watched: 22 feet, 4.5 inches.

The York kids were buoyant, Lytle strutting around the runway, thrilled with his best jump of the season. Then they all looked back up toward the starting line.

It was Simmons’ turn. He slipped out of his black track suit and stepped into the runway. He began his pre-jump rocking motions, the last one blasting him down the strip toward the pit. Sprinted footfalls, a last thud, and then quiet for maybe a second.

The jumper chasing Stallion greats, a scholarship and a state title splashed into the sand, limbs flying everywhere, but not before his heels dented the surface.

Impressed onlookers began chatting right away. Rock Hill assistant track coach Christopher Price pulled the tape taut.

Simmons was already pumping his fist.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Simmons to use county championship as launch pad for state title."