Salute to Seniors | Kaitlin Salisbury of Hawthorne HS

Jul 14, 2016

Here is the next entry in our new series on NJ MileSplit, with so many seniors heading off to bigger and better things we wanted to give everyone a chance to salute them one more time. As well as to invite those seniors to tell their stories from the past four years. If you would like to partake in these articles here is how, we'll be posting all June and July.

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This issue of the series presents an athlete who takes the name of track AND field star literally, Hawthorne graduate Kaitlin Salisbury. She won 16 straight outdoor long jump competitions from April 4th, 2015 to June 8th, 2016 when she took gold at the Meet of Champions. During that time span she hit a 20-0 PR at the Passaic County Championships. In the triple jump she has a PR of 40-1.25 (wind, -2.8) which she landed at Nationals to take fourth! She amassed 19 career wins in the triple jump, 23 in the long jump between outdoor and indoor.

That's not all, she also made plenty of noise on the track winning multiple state championships in the 55, 100, and 200 meter events. She has PRs of 7.14 (55m), 11.83 (100m), and 24.50 (200m) in the sprints.

Name: Kaitlin Salisbury
School:Hawthorne High School

What was your most memorable jump/moment?

My most memorable jump was winning triple jump at the State Meet of Champions. I was under the most pressure I had ever felt going into finals in 4th. I finally used the pressure to my advantage, and turned it into the amazing performance I had.

Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?

Over the past 4 years, my biggest competition was actually myself. I had others that pushed me, like my own teammate Jenna Dyksen sophomore year, but a lot like my performances, everything changed every year. But I pushed myself always. I was never completely content with my jumps, I knew I could do better. And it's that drive that got me to where I was.

What was your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was earning All-American in triple jump at New Balance Nationals this season. I only began triple jumping last winter season, and I have already gone as far as I possibly could. I couldn't be happier with it!

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

If I could do it all over again, I would definitely do more running and practicing on my own. All of my events were independent events, but I loved doing relays with my team so often that I would work myself up and get upset when I couldn't be with them. If I practiced more on my own, I could get used to it.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

The most difficult obstacles I had to overcome were the events I had missed when going to track meets at the end of the week or weekends. I missed countless field trips, family events, anniversaries, anything really. But track made it worth it, and if I really had to miss events, I'm glad it was because of track. Track definitely is one of my passions.

What will you miss the most?

I'll miss my coaches the most. I relied on them through the years and gave them my full trust when I couldn't even trust myself sometimes. They would make calls for me during my jumps that I would never think of doing, but it always worked out in the end. My jumping coach, Jayson LaVorne, means the world to me, and has almost become a second father to me.

What advice would you give to younger athletes?

Advice I'd give to younger athletes is that no matter how much a workout may stink, or no matter how long practice goes on till, don't ever give up and think "if I quit, what difference would it even make?" Every athlete, no matter how young or small, makes a difference. He or she can contribute in one way, whether it be on the track or field, they are always important.

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

Coach LaVorne became a father to me, and once said "Every time I think we've done it all, you doing something even more special" and those words really hit home. He's always supportive about every decision I made, and always made me feel more comfortable performing under pressure. He is by far my number one role model for what I aspire to be like as potentially a future coach.

What are your college plans?

My college plans as of now are to major in Studio Art and continue my track career at Bucknell University. I can't wait for the boundless opportunities waiting for me there!

Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?

I want to say thank you to my parents for waking me up at 5 in the morning for meets, making sure I'm fed and under a roof, and everything they've ever taught me in life. And of course all of my coaches at Hawthorne High School, Jayson LaVorne, John Laforge and Gus Schell who taught me knew skills that I will carry with me for my whole life.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Never stop because someone said "you're done", go even harder because someone thought it was over.