South Side long jumper practices in volleyball sandpit to reach Spring Fling

MURFREESBORO — Makayla Transou had to take an unusual route to get to Murfreesboro.

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The city of Jackson has only one regulation track, located at University School of Jackson. At times, USJ’s track was under maintenance this year. In the past, USJ has hosted track meets. 

It affected track and field athletes in Jackson, including Transou. 

So where did the junior long jumper for South Side practice? At a volleyball sandpit at North Park in Jackson.

“It was very hard because I had to make sure I had a straight way to run, I couldn’t be too far up on the hill, couldn’t be too low,” Transou said. “I had to move some of the grass out of the way so I could see the little board thing to step on. It was difficult.”

It didn’t stop her from making her way to the Large School state meet. Transou finished fourth in the long jump at MTSU’s Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium on Thursday. Her longest jump was 18 feet, 6 inches.

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Transou has been training at North Park since her freshman year and has qualified for state all three years she’s competed. Using North Park as a makeshift sandpit was really her only option.

“I knew we wouldn’t get a legit sandpit, but I knew that North Park had a volleyball pit out there, so that’s all we needed,” said Maurius Transou, Makayla’s father. “We just needed a soft landing spot and once we got that, the rest was on us. 

"To become a champion, you have to overcome adversity so I try to motivate her. Some days it was raining and the grass was wet, but that’s adversity.”

Makayla and other members of South Side’s track and field teams had meets at Dyersburg, which is about an hour away. This year is also the first year of the TSSAA changing its classifications for track and field. 

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There is no longer Class A, AA, and AAA for public schools. It’s now split into Small School and Large School Divisions, and South Side got put into the larger classification, meaning stiffer competition.

“Last year coming from AA to Large Division, it was a big impact because it means I had to do more,” Makayla said.

Makayla isn’t content with her finish. Practicing at North Park was something she had to overcome. The challenge is to find a way to work through it and finish at the top of the podium.

“It’s going to motivate me a lot because I didn’t accomplish what I want to accomplish,” Transou said. “I gotta push myself because fourth place is not satisfying for me. I’m grateful and thankful I made it this far, but I know next year I’ll be able to shoot up into first place.”

Reach Luis Torres at ltorres1@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9638 and follow him on Twitter @LFTorresIII.