Morgan County’s Kymora Smith placed first at the Class AA state track-and-field meet in the long jump on May 9.
Smith secured the gold medal with a personal record of 18-1.
The Morgan County senior said stepping up to the podium with the first-place trophy was a surreal moment.
“It felt really great to win the state title,” Smith said. “It was an amazing experience filled with emotion and accomplishment. As I stepped up on the podium, I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I was so happy to be able to make my parents proud.”
Morgan County head coach Kelan Fraise was proud of Smith.
“Kymora Smith is the definition of a scholar-athlete,” Fraise said. “She is an awesome student on and off the field. She puts forth great effort and works hard during practice and at every track meet. Her goal was to always become a state champion in the long jump. Kymora’s hard work and dedication finally paid off.”
A few weeks ago, Smith took first place at the Region 2-AA championship meet with a jump of 16-9. She qualified for the state sectional meet, where she also finished first with a mark of 16-11. Heading into the state meet at East Jackson, Smith was a favorite, contending with Therrell senior Simone Whitfield for the gold medal.
Smith defeated Whitfield, who came up just short with a jump of 17-9.
Smith progressively improved with each postseason meet and thanked her coaches for helping her in practice. She said Fraise and assistant coach Marvin Mathis assisted her in achieving a new personal best.
“I was able to work on my form and further my distance,” Smith said. “I was practicing my takeoff, running approach, jumping, and arm action, and my landing approach constantly. It helped create a routine that best fit me.”
Smith is now a two-time state champion. The senior athlete helped the Morgan County softball team secure a state championship last fall, and she was a starter on the girls basketball team during its Final Four run.
Smith’s time as a high school athlete has ended, but she finished her career at the top.
“I would say it was a season of significant growth and success,” she said of her senior track and field season. “Although I wasn’t able to attend all of the meets, due to basketball overlapping, I was able to come back and finish strong. I am grateful to my parents and coaches for pushing me to my best abilities and helping me achieve my goal of winning state.”