Karson Tempel showed record jump wasn't flash in the pan

Apr. 20—CHEYENNE — Karson Tempel was overjoyed when she broke Cheyenne Central's 20-year-old girls triple jump record April 7.

Resetting the mark a week later gave Tempel a different feeling.

"My first thought was, 'OK, it wasn't a fluke before. This is actually where I'm jumping now,'" the sophomore said. "Breaking the record a week later was reassuring."

Tempel's leap of 38-4 1/4 also was good enough to win triple jump at the Mountain Range Mustang Invitational in Westminster, Colorado. She also took top honors in long jump (16-1 3/4 ) and placed eighth in the 100-meter dash (13.35 seconds).

Those efforts earned Tempel Prep Athlete of the Week honors from WyoSports' Cheyenne staff.

Central's previous triple jump record of 37-11 was set by Brittany Woodard in 2003. Tempel posted a mark of 38-3 at Cheyenne East's Okie Blanchard Invitational. Breaking the record on consecutive weekends shows Indians jumps coach Brad Pickett that Tempel is on the right track.

"Now, we have to continue to grow and get better for the state meet," he said. "We don't want to get stuck in that 38-foot range; we want to get better. She's only going to get in a lot better shape and get a lot stronger.

"Those things will blend together and help her get a lot better."

Tempel has already improved by leaps and bounds in the past year.

She dabbled in triple jump during her eighth grade year at McCormick Junior High, giving the event a try, in part, because it's one her father, Tanr Tempel, competed in during his high school days. The few meets she triple-jumped at that spring were merely an introduction to the event.

Tempel went after the event with full force last spring and finished fourth at the Class 4A state meet with a distance of 35-4 1/4 . The only returning athlete who finished ahead of her is Natrona County senior Mackenzie Bradach, who posted a mark of 35-8. Kelly Walsh's Elayna Chafee won the state title and is now competing for the University of Wyoming. Central's Katie Thomson was runner-up, and she has continued her career at NCAA Division II Colorado Mesa.

"There were kids who had better marks than (Tempel) going into state, but she reached down and competed in both triple jump and the (400-meter dash)," Pickett said. "She was getting better all year, but she put it together that weekend. ... She makes good adjustments and wants to get better every day.

"She's pretty mature for a sophomore. She's played a lot of varsity basketball, and has learned how to handle herself at this level. She's a lot of fun to coach."

Tempel said her breakout has come after she started getting more distance out of the second phase of her jump. Tempel was going too vertical during her first phase, which robbed her of momentum and shortened the second phase, Pickett said.

Tempel said the difference is night and day.

"I could do that bound in practice before, but I wasn't able to incorporate it into the jump," she said. "It clicked at one meet, and I have it down now. It was kind of just a step before, but now I'm jumping into it.

"That's got me going that much farther because I'm really stretching out that second phase."

Tempel placed fourth in the 400 at last year's state meet, clocking in at 59.64 seconds. She also was eighth in long jump (16-3). Tempel most likely won't run the 400 at next month's state meet because it conflicts with triple jump. She has tried her hand at the 200 and 100 the past two weeks and has started working with Central's hurdlers to make a go at the 100 hurdles.

"We're going to see what the best fit is," Tempel said.

Tempel isn't content rewriting Central's record book. She has now set her sights on the overall state record of 39-10 1/4 , set by Evanston's Leila Martinez in 2017, and she doesn't want to just eek by it.

"I'd like to get to 40 feet," Tempel said. "I think that's a realistic goal. I've got two years to do it. I just have to keep working."

Others recognized for their efforts include:

n Madisyn Baillie and Sydney Morrell, girls track and field, Cheyenne Central: Baillie, a senior, won high jump at the Mountain Range Mustang Invitational by clearing 5 feet, 1 inch. She also was second in the 100 hurdles (15.20 seconds) and third in the 200-meter dash (26.78).

Morrell, also a senior, won both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs. She finished the 800 in 2 minutes, 19.06 seconds, and the 1,600 in 5:02.14.

n Jaylyn Christensen, Gracie Oswald and Trista Stehwien, softball, Cheyenne East: Christensen, a senior, fanned 27 hitters over 17 innings during East's 2-2 weekend in Gillette. She went 2-1 in those contests, walking just nine batters and posting a 5.35 earned-run average. She also added five hits — including two doubles — and four RBI at the plate.

Oswald, a junior, was 13-for-21 (.619) at the plate with three doubles, a triple, a home run and 13 RBI.

Stehwien, a senior, went 13-for-19 (.632) with six doubles, a home run and nine RBI.

n Logan Custis, boys soccer, Central: The junior scored two goals during the Indians' 2-0 win over Laramie.

n Haydn Fleming, Tegan Krause and Richard Prescott, boys track and field, Central: Fleming, a junior, won shot put with heave of 49 feet, 9 inches at the Mountain Range Mustang Invite. He also placed second in shot put (150-3).

Krause, a freshman, won the 200-meter dash (22.44 seconds) and finished second in the 100 (11.27).

Prescott, a senior, won triple jump (44-9) and placed second in the 300 hurdles (40.82).

n Jordan Griess, girls soccer, East: The junior scored two goals in the Lady Thunderbirds' 2-1 overtime victory over Laramie.

n Izzy Kelly, softball, Central: The sophomore went 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles, two triples, a home run and five RBI as the Indians went 0-4 during games against Campbell County and Thunder Basin in Gillette.

Jeremiah Johnke is the WyoSports editor. He can be reached at jjohnke@wyosports.net or 307-633-3137. Follow him on Twitter at @jjohnke.