Chillicothe's Cousins wins regional track title

• Tanea Cousins moved from fifth to first place on her last jump of the meet.
• Cousins placed fifth in the 2014 state meet.

PICKERINGTON – Tanea Cousins did not need to be told the predicament she found herself in Friday.

"I keep track," the Chillicothe junior said.

Cousins had dropped from second to fifth during the finals of the long jump in the Division I regional meet at Pickerington North. Luckily for Cousins, she still had one jump left, and she has been in that situation before.

Much like the way Cousins came from behind to win the indoor state title in the triple jump this past March, she saved her best for last. Cousins jumped 17-feet-10.75 to steal the regional title and advance to next week's state meet at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

"I like it, but it made me really nervous. I didn't want to foul," Cousins said. "But I like the pressure. It makes me more ready."

Cousins will be making her second appearance at the state meet at 3 p.m. June 6. She placed fifth a year ago.

Cousins' second preliminary jump put her into first place, but she then began dropping as a top-notch field made their bids for the title. Cousins' final leap edged out Westerville South's Chasatea Brown.

The 18-feet mark taunts Cousins. She keeps knocking on the door. That breakthrough could come next weekend and move her up the podium.

"I am close. This is like my third time doing 17-10," Cousins said. "I am more looking at it from a college standpoint. If I see girls my age jumping that, I want to jump that, too, because I want coaches to look at me, too."

Tamia Mills just missed reaching the finals and finished 10th (16-4.75). Savannah Bonner tied for 15th in the pole vault (8-6).

"I was hoping (Mills) would make it through," Cousins said. "She had a bad day, but then again, there is a lot of good competition here."

In the boys meet, Jack Whalen finished 15th (2:06.08).

ksnyder@gannett.com

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