Mountain Pointe senior forgoes spring semester, jumps to Oklahoma BY Larry Ward
ahwatukee.com
Last spring, Will Claye soared at the state 5A-I triple jump championship.
A few days later, the Mountain Pointe senior made a quantum leap.
When his Pride teammates will be competing in high school events this spring Claye will be jumping as a collegiate freshman for the University of Oklahoma.
"I've been planning on this since the end of the last school year," Claye said. "I realized when I was a freshman that I had to have the grades and I got used to studying. I was ahead in my classes and I had all my credits, so I figured I might as well do it."
Claye's last day at Mountain Pointe was Dec. 18 and he will be leaving a couple of weeks later for Norman, Okla.
Claye posted the best jump in the country last year, when last spring he flew 52 feet, four-and-a-quarter inches to win the triple jump title.
He also won the prestigious Arcadia (California) triple jump event last spring and was the even'ts state champion as a freshman in 2005. Claye was second in the triple jump to his longtime friend and rival, Chandler High School's Bryce Lamb, in 2006 and won the United States Track and Field Junior Olympics championship a year earlier.
"I felt I was ready," Claye said. "I feel like I can compete against anyone. I've always liked to compete against people who were a little bit older."
Although it is rare for a high school senior to finish early to enter college and compete in athletics, it happens more often in track and field, explained Jeremy Fisher, an Oklahoma assistant coach who recruited Claye.
"The great thing about track is that it isn't age discriminatory because 53 feet is 53 feet no matter if you're 15 or 25 years old," Fisher said. "It can be different in something like football where you come in and a sport isn't in season. You can get lost in the shuffle."
Claye isn't likely to get lost in the shuffle.
Most freshmen have a few weeks to get acclimated and adjust, but the Sooners open the indoor season on Jan. 9, seven days after Claye arrives in Norman.
"Will and I have a great relationship already and I want to make the transition as easy as possible for him in training and competing," Fisher said.
Claye and Fisher were slowly drawn toward each other over the past years after Claye started exploring what programs had the best jumpers.
"I looked up the stats and (Oklahoma) had some of the best jumpers in the country," Claye explained. "I started talking to the coaches there and they had been interested in me before so I decided to go there."
It was as easy a choice for the Sooners.
"Will was the No. 1 returning jumper in the country," Fisher explained. "His marks were very respectable and with very little increase in bulk he'll be a national qualifier with All-American status."
Claye and Lamb have been friends since middle school and have challenged each other to excel.
"Will and Bryce were good enough to push each other to get better," Fisher said. "It's a great opportunity for Will at Oklahoma, but it will be interesting to see how Bryce does now."
There won't be any bench time for Claye at Oklahoma.
"He'll come in and be successful even at the level he is now," Fisher said, "Obviously he's going to get better. He's only 17 and has a minimal lifting background so he's just developing. By the time he's a senior and 21 or 22 years old it's going to be a huge difference."
But Claye doesn't intend to wait that long to make his mark.
"I want to win the championship next spring and go the Olympics in 2012," Claye said.
It's not a pipe dream for the Pride jumper who enjoys mathematics and plans to get a degree in computer engineering.
"You'll see Will competing in the Olympics in 2012 and 2016," Fisher said. "I've told him that even though Oklahoma is a four-year academic and collegiate commitment he has an eight- or nine-year athletic commitment."
Last spring, Will Claye soared at the state 5A-I triple jump championship.
A few days later, the Mountain Pointe senior made a quantum leap.
When his Pride teammates will be competing in high school events this spring Claye will be jumping as a collegiate freshman for the University of Oklahoma.
"I've been planning on this since the end of the last school year," Claye said. "I realized when I was a freshman that I had to have the grades and I got used to studying. I was ahead in my classes and I had all my credits, so I figured I might as well do it."
Claye's last day at Mountain Pointe was Dec. 18 and he will be leaving a couple of weeks later for Norman, Okla.
Claye posted the best jump in the country last year, when last spring he flew 52 feet, four-and-a-quarter inches to win the triple jump title.
He also won the prestigious Arcadia (California) triple jump event last spring and was the even'ts state champion as a freshman in 2005. Claye was second in the triple jump to his longtime friend and rival, Chandler High School's Bryce Lamb, in 2006 and won the United States Track and Field Junior Olympics championship a year earlier.
"I felt I was ready," Claye said. "I feel like I can compete against anyone. I've always liked to compete against people who were a little bit older."
Although it is rare for a high school senior to finish early to enter college and compete in athletics, it happens more often in track and field, explained Jeremy Fisher, an Oklahoma assistant coach who recruited Claye.
"The great thing about track is that it isn't age discriminatory because 53 feet is 53 feet no matter if you're 15 or 25 years old," Fisher said. "It can be different in something like football where you come in and a sport isn't in season. You can get lost in the shuffle."
Claye isn't likely to get lost in the shuffle.
Most freshmen have a few weeks to get acclimated and adjust, but the Sooners open the indoor season on Jan. 9, seven days after Claye arrives in Norman.
"Will and I have a great relationship already and I want to make the transition as easy as possible for him in training and competing," Fisher said.
Claye and Fisher were slowly drawn toward each other over the past years after Claye started exploring what programs had the best jumpers.
"I looked up the stats and (Oklahoma) had some of the best jumpers in the country," Claye explained. "I started talking to the coaches there and they had been interested in me before so I decided to go there."
It was as easy a choice for the Sooners.
"Will was the No. 1 returning jumper in the country," Fisher explained. "His marks were very respectable and with very little increase in bulk he'll be a national qualifier with All-American status."
Claye and Lamb have been friends since middle school and have challenged each other to excel.
"Will and Bryce were good enough to push each other to get better," Fisher said. "It's a great opportunity for Will at Oklahoma, but it will be interesting to see how Bryce does now."
There won't be any bench time for Claye at Oklahoma.
"He'll come in and be successful even at the level he is now," Fisher said, "Obviously he's going to get better. He's only 17 and has a minimal lifting background so he's just developing. By the time he's a senior and 21 or 22 years old it's going to be a huge difference."
But Claye doesn't intend to wait that long to make his mark.
"I want to win the championship next spring and go the Olympics in 2012," Claye said.
It's not a pipe dream for the Pride jumper who enjoys mathematics and plans to get a degree in computer engineering.
"You'll see Will competing in the Olympics in 2012 and 2016," Fisher said. "I've told him that even though Oklahoma is a four-year academic and collegiate commitment he has an eight- or nine-year athletic commitment."
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