Jackson High School merger helped two track & field stars take off

Jackson Memorial's Skylar Carpenter

Her blistering times this spring in the 200 and 400 came at the A South Championships April 15 – and took place only 30 minutes apart.

“I was so bad, I had to put my legs up (afterward),” she said.

Having run cross country – a change of pace for someone who grew up playing soccer – helped build the strength needed for that kind of double.

“I genuinely think this is a sport that pushes your mentality,” she said. “It challenges you to do more than you think you’re capable of.”

Is Carpenter capable of breaking the Ocean County record in the girls 400 – a 54.73 set by Lakewood’s Shavon Greaves in 2007?

“Sounds doable,” she said.

Jason Lin, raising the bar

Jackson High School pole vaulter Jason Lin (center, with pole) with his coaches and teammates

Jason Lin was a good vaulter last spring, clearing 13-0 as a junior at Jackson Liberty. Now he’s a great one – the 15-foot barrier is rarefied air around these parts. The difference? He spent much of the summer practicing at Jackson Memorial, which left its pole vault pit out.

“I went with a friend two or three times a week,” he said. “I grinded really hard over the summer.”

They’d spent mornings or evenings out there, up to four hours at a clip.

“My coaches are a big help,” Lin said. “They always get the poles I need to progress. The pole I’m using now is a foot longer and 20 pounds heavier (than last year’s).”

The results: a 14-6 indoor clearance and second place finish at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, followed by the 15-footer at Raritan High School’s Rocket Relays April 4.

Like most vaulters, Lin was introduced to the event as a high school freshman, and he was tested by a mishap as a sophomore, suffering a broken bone in his wrist when he landed arm-first into the planting box.

“When I came back (the next school year) I had a fear of jumping – not a complete fear, but I was a little more anxious,” Lin said. “But after a week the muscle memory kicked in, and I was determined to get better.”

He did, and now the sky is the limit. It’s worth noting that the Ocean County record of 16-1.25 has stood since 1976. That’s next-level, but Lin, who is headed to Rutgers in the fall and will study civil engineering, has become adept at raising the bar.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him atjcarino@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore track & field: Jason Lin, Skylar Carpenter & Jackson High merger