Wall Boys track and field coach Craig Slaughter saw Briggs Jones’ talent before he jumped off the track before his junior year.
After practice, Slaughter joked that Jones' dad needed to bring a backhoe exercise because he hit the back of the bunker while jumping.
“I’m like ‘Oh my God’,” Slaughter said. “It looks unnaturally explosive.”
As Jones continued his junior season, he continued to improve his best, eventually winning silver in the state track and field 3A triple jump, with personal best distances of 46 feet and 5¼ inches.
A year later, Jones returned to the state track and field competition at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. However, this time, Angelo State signers competed in five events - 100, 200, 800 relays, long jumps and triple jumps - with new personal best in every event.
Briggs handled a minor back injury for most of the season, which lifted him out of many jump games. With the arrival of regional, regional and regional gatherings, Slaughter said he carefully limited Jones' number of jumps to keep him healthy.
Despite limited jumps, Jones still scored a new personal record in the game, capturing the triple jump at 24-03.25 in the area and the district's triple jump at 48-07.25, more than two feet higher than his silver medal jump a year ago.
"I'd definitely feel like it was a big jump," Jones said. "The moment I hit the sand, I knew I had a chance to hit those numbers. Now, I didn't know that it would be 48, but I knew it would be one of the taller people."
Even though Jones was unable to compete in the jump competition, he worked hard to improve his 100 and 200 times, and he did not qualify for two games last year.
When Jones had 100 meetings on the wall at 10.41, Jones paid off when he set PR 100 times.
“A lot of[my improvements]are working on this technology,” Jones said. “Like in the 100 starts, I worked from the beginning. Last year I often rushed out of a lot of blocks. So this year I really focused on maintaining more control, getting out of the blocks, having smoother, smoother races and learning more about the technology rather than just going there to run.”
Jones also set a new solo record in Wall's Cotton Patch Relay on March 26 and set an anchor for the Wall Boys 800 relay at 21.54, helping the team reach a season-best 1:26.97 in the Angelo State Spring Break Invitational on March 20.
Although Jones is happy with the progress this season, he says his mind immediately considers what he needs to get a new record whenever he reaches a new personal best.
“(Jones) is an incredible athlete and has won all the successes,” Slaughter said. “He’s talented, but he’ll do the job for us and lead the way – he’s a kid who’s easy to take root.”
The Wall Boys Track and Field Team will require Jones and other athletes to compete in the state track and field competition Thursday, May 1. Last year, the men's team finished fifth with 29 points, behind only No. 1 Yoakum and Hallettsville. This year, the boys are attracting more athletes and playing more games in Austin, and Slaughter said he thinks it gives them a good chance to win the entire game.
"It's really exciting to get into the state meeting," said sophomore Slayton Hallmark, who will compete in the State University's 110-meter hurdling. “I want our teams to win a lot of points between all the events, but I really just want us all to go there to compete.”
Paul Witwer introduced high school athletics and Angelo State University athletics for San Angelo Standard Time. Arrive at him sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on social media platforms, formerly known as Twitter, @paul_witwer.