Keron Stoute Earns JC All America Honors in High Jump

 

Keron Stoute ends his Jr. College career with All America honors

MAY 18—After a string of dismal season performances, setbacks and disappointments, Central Arizona College sophomore Keron Stoute ended his Jr. College career with All America High Jump honors.

Stoute had been stuck in 2.00m-2.03 (6’5”-6’7”) mode throughout the season—and had two misses at the height during the National Jr. College Athletics Association Championships in Levelland, Texas—before something clicked.

He became only the territory’s fourth athlete to attempt 2.16m (7’1”), after clearing a season’s best of 2.11m (6’11”) on his final attempt, which also equaled his personal best to end in a four-way tie for third place.

Stoute who stood at sixth in the Decathlon rankings ahead of the championships with 5958, was disappointed that injuries kept him from contesting the 10 disciplines.

“I was satisfied with my performance. I really wanted to hit 7'1 but just couldn’t get it together at that height,” he said. “Injuries have really hurt me this season. As much as I would of liked to do it all, my body wasn’t agreeing with my mind. I'm pretty sure if I was healthy I would have been able to put together a decent score to contest the top three finishers in the Decathlon.”

Describing his season as a rough one with all the injuries, Stoute said he’s happy that he was able to put something down on paper to prove he can still jump. “There was a few doubters,” he pointed out, noting that there were a combination of things including being out of shape and mental distractions. “Being in shape is important but if your mind isn’t in the right place when you’re high jumping, it can be very difficult clearing even the lowest heights.”

With his tenure at Central Arizona behind, Stoute is looking forward to signing on with a Division 1 school and is leaning towards University of Kentucky. “I'm also talking to Mississippi State, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and University of Louisville,” he said. “It’s all a matter of where I can get the best package and training.”