The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that Janay DeLoach, former Eielson High School student and Alaska girls school long jump state record holder, will be heading to London to compete in the 2012 Olympic games this summer. DeLoach finished third in the women's long jump at the U.S. Olympics Trials at Hayward Stadium on Sunday, earning a spot on the Olympic team.
Although DeLoach will be competing in the long jump, former high school coach Jim Cavanaugh said her basketball skills could have brought her to a similar place. "Her main sport up here was basketball, and she only did track for eight or nine weeks a year," Cavanaugh told the News-Miner. "What's overlooked now is that she won the 100 and 200 several times, so she could have carried on in that as well."
Eielson activities coordinator Kelly Growden was DeLoach's coach when she played basketball from 2000-2003. "It's pretty cool to see her achieve that goal," Growden told the News-Miner. "It's a great achievement for her."
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