It takes a lot to surprise Javanique Burruss at this point in her track and field career.
The Louisa High School junior set the Group AA state record in the long jump when she leaped 19 feet, 5 inches in June.
But on Saturday at the St. Christopher?s Invitational in Richmond, Burruss set a new personal best in the event.
Her jump of 20 feet, 1 inch places her No. 1 in the United States among high school girls.
?It was my first time ever jumping over a 19,? Burruss said. ?When I jumped it and the lady said ?20?1? my mom and I started jumping up and down. We both started crying. We were really happy.?
Burruss hadn?t cleared 20 feet, not even in practice, before the meet.
She has had limited time to work on the long jump this winter because she also plays for the Lions? girls basketball team.
Louisa?s previous school schedule didn?t help, either.
Before a new modular high school opened on Wednesday, the Lions attended class three days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. because their school was damaged by an earthquake in August.
Burruss could practice only two days because of her commitment to the basketball team.
And when she was able to get on the track, she couldn?t practice the long jump because it was too dark outside. She has practiced the event just twice this season.
?It was frustrating sometimes because the long jump is my favorite,? Burruss said.
Still, that didn?t prevent her from a major accomplishment at St. Christopher?s last weekend.
?It makes me feel good, being that I didn?t expect it to happen this year,? Burruss said of jumping 20 feet. ?I figured it would happen my senior year after I get some more training. But now when I go to nationals, I want to try to pop a 21. This gives me a lot of extra motivation.?
?Taft Coghill Jr.
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