Jay Hill ready to take his talents to the next level

Coming into his senior season, Jay Hill had set high goals for himself, including winning the Shore Conference long jump title and qualifying for the Meet of Champions in three events. Mission accomplished.

The hardworking St. John Vianney High School graduate was simply outstanding. He went undefeated during the dual meet season in both the 100- and 200-meter sprints and lost only once in the long jump. A year ago Hill narrowly missed winning the Shore title, losing out on his final jump. This spring he turned things around, taking the championship in his last jump.

"Jay is determined and dedicated," said his coach at SJV, Tom McLoughlin. "He has improved tremendously and has added at least a foot to his distance each year. He’s a real student of the sport who wants to do things correctly and successfully."

Hill went on to the Meet of Champions, where he finished eighth in the long jump, seventh at 200 meters and 10th at 100 meters. He also took second place in the recent Holmdel Invitational meet. In the fall, Hill will continue his track career at Rider University, Lawrenceville. What are the keys to his success?

"I just love the sport," he said. "It’s never a problem to go out and practice. I really enjoy it. I run sprints just about every day. In the long jump, the main thing is to use the same technique every time you go down the runway. I put in a lot of time on that, and it finally started coming together for me last spring."

Although he would occasionally run sprints, the Matawan resident played travel soccer until he got to high school. As a freshman he made the spring track team and began developing his love of the sport. But he was unsure about coming back until losing a friendly bet with a buddy while racing in a parking lot.

He concentrated on sprinting, but his coaches encouraged him to begin competing in the long jump, where he showed promise immediately. Hill gave up soccer and stuck with track year round while running cross-country in the fall.

"When I came back as a sophomore, I decided to dedicate myself to the sport," he said. "It was the right decision for me. I received good guidance from our coaches, and I kept improving."

The hard work obviously paid off, and McLoughlin further recognized Hill by naming the athlete captain this spring.

"Jay not only works hard and performs tremendously, but he cares about the other people on the team," the coach said. "Jay shares his knowledge and works with them, and his efforts have raised the level of other performers on our team."

Hill decided to attend Rider, where he will pursue a degree in liberal arts, because of its Division I track program and its proximity to home.

"I know it will be an adjustment, but I’m looking forward to competing in college," Hill said.

"My goal is to make an impact and make a nice dent in the Division I ratings by my sophomore year."

Another high goal, but Hill has been down this road before.

— Warren Rappleyea