Doing it for the Jordans

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

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By Chris Wagar
Neighborhood News Bureau reporter at the University of South Florida's Department of Journalism and Media Studies

Jazmyn Shorter had one goal on her mind, and that didn't bode well for the other female sprinters aspiring to win the gold in the 200- and 400-meter sprint at the state finals in Orlando earlier this month.

Shorter, a junior at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, achieved one of her goals -- bringing home the gold in the 400-meter.

Jazmyn Shorter recently won a state championship; she hopes to run in the 2008 Olympics.

"My freshman year I made it to state but not the finals," Shorter said. "My sophomore year I had knee surgery so I wasn't able to run. So this year is my first real chance to show what I can do."

What Shorter can do is quite impressive. She is currently ranked number three in the state of Florida and number 11 nationally in the 200- and 400-meter sprint respectively.

Her parents, though, saw a different path for Shorter when she was a child.

"I figured she was going to be a runway model," said her father, Jeffrey Shorter. "In fact, one day when she was three or four we took her over to WestShore Mall to audition for a Frosted Flakes ad. All she had to do was walk down the runway and say, 'They're Grrreat!' But when she got up there she wouldn't say it, not a word. Then on the ride home, she would not stop saying it. I couldn't believe it!"

That was the end of her modeling career.

A reason for running

For many athletes, there is something tangible that they strive for, something that drives them. For Shorter it's the shoes, specifically the Nike Air Jordan's.

"There was only one reason that I played basketball," Shorter said. "It was because my mom said that if you play I will buy you a pair of Jordan's, so I played. Now with every track meet [I run in] that's my parents' way of bribing me to win."

That bribe has turned out to be effective in both basketball and track.

In basketball, Shorter was named second-team all county, the offensive player of the year for Lakewood, and even recorded a triple double in a game by compiling 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 steals.

In track, she was named first-team all conference, won a championship in both the 200- and 400-meter sprint at the Pinellas County Athletic Conference Championships, and was named the MVP of the Boca Ciega Relays.

Like many student athletes, Shorter's athletic prowess does not come naturally. It requires hard work. Her days are long, stretching from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with two practices each day. Each practice lasts at least two hours. Shorter's coaches designed training techniques to hone her skills.

One item she uses targets resistance training. The device utilizes a harness that is attached to a large truck tire, requiring athletes to sprint up to 100 yards while dragging the large tire behind them. This helps to build a quick release out of the blocks, generating an ability to reach top speed quickly.

Another device is a parachute attached to the athletes as they sprint down the field. When the chute is released, the runner gets a sudden burst of speed, helping to build the burst needed at the end of a race.

Although some of these training methods may seem odd to an individual outside of the track and field community, they are essential for creating champions, said Garlynn Boyd, coach of the Lightning Bolt Track Club.

Big plans

The life of a champion is exactly what Shorter sees for herself in the future.

"My ultimate goal would be to wear the gold for the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing," she said.

Her dream would follow the path of her idol, five-time Olympic track and field medalist Marion Jones.

"When I saw Marion Jones standing on that podium [in the 2000 Olympics] all I could do was picture that being me," Shorter said.

Shorter first plans to finish high school and pick a college before packing her bags for Beijing. Currently the recruiting battle for this top prospect is starting to heat up, with Louisiana State University and the University of Florida among several prominent schools vying for her signature.