by Ayana Antoine ‘20

Senior track star Sofia Grossman recently went to states for her incredible sprint times and success in the high jump during the indoor season. Despite the fact that track doesn’t typically get very much coverage, she maintains a competitive attitude. Her impressive performance over the past few years has laid the groundwork for a promising college athletic career.

Grossman competes in multiple events, such as the 55 meter sprint, 100 meter hurdles, 4×200 meter sprint 4x400m sprint, as well as her favorite event, high jump. She loves the intricate nature of every event despite their difficulties. Although many people think high jump is as simple as running and jumping over a bar, there are dozens of mechanics athletes must consider when competing.

The key to an impressive high jump starts out with a steady, constant sprint towards the bar. As the athlete gets closer, her pace becomes faster to gain as much momentum as possible. This vertical energy is converted into horizontal energy as the athlete lifts up over the bar landing on the other side. In the face of all the things that stand between Grossman and her success, she still has passion for the event, “The feeling of getting over the bar is the best in the world, so it makes up for the other frustrating times,” said Grossman.

Grossman’s dreams of competing at the state level may soon be realized in the outdoor season. Using the confidence from competing at the state level this indoor season, she appears highly motivated to succeed. Her current personal record in the high jump is at 5‘3“, and has aspirations to reach 5‘6“ by the end of her upcoming outdoor season.

Grossman’s goals for success are not limited to high jump, as she also hopes to perform well in several sprinting events. “For the 100 meter hurdles I hope to break 16 seconds,” Grossman said.
“With my new personal record in the 55 meter hurdles in indoor, I am excited to see what I can do now in the 100 meters. I hope to place in the top five at states for the high jump, and get into the finals for hurdles at states.”

“Making it to states for the 4×400 meter relay is also something I am really hoping for. Our team has a lot of potential to do some damage with our relays this coming season,” she said.