Bow junior Camden Wilson had a breakout season for the Bow Falcons indoor track team, won the Division II state championship and set a new personal record to finish fifth in the high jump at the New England Championship.
She started track and field in 7th grade at Bow Memorial School and worked hard to position herself among the best jumpers in the state. Her personal best jump of five feet and five inches at the New England regional meet was a five-inch improvement upon her start of the season.
Her performances booked her a spot in the New Balance Nationals, where she competed against the best of the best at the high school level.
Jumping is a sport of margins, speed, foot placement, strength and mental focus. Wilson explained what it takes.
Q: Why did you decide to start track and field?
A: I started track during my first year in middle school and my mom had signed me up for the team even though I really did not want to be. I started high jump in 8th grade with my coach and mom’s encouragement to try it and ended up winning states that year. That’s when I began to really get serious about the sport, rather than seeing it as just for hanging out with friends and team bonding.
Q: When did you start jumping and how did you get into it?
A: One of the reasons I love track and high jump is the feeling of accomplishment I get from clearing a personal best and the encouragement from my teammates and coaches.
Q: What have your sports taught you?
A: High jump has taught me that not every meet or practice is going to go perfectly and that’s okay. In meets, I couldn’t let my negative thoughts get the best of me because once you believe you can’t jump a height, you definitely won’t be able to.
Q: Who has helped you throughout your journey, and how have your coaches helped you?
A: My coaches have helped me the most throughout my high jump journey by making time from their days to come to practices just for me to jump and for encouraging me at meets and helping me keep my composure after a bad jump. My family and friends also have helped me a lot by always being there watching my meets and encouraging me even if they are hours away.
Q: How do you prepare for a big meet or state championship?
A: When I’m preparing for a big meet, I usually will replicate my practice the day before with what I’m going to do at the meet with the same warm-ups and heights. For good luck, I always wear my uniform to sleep the night before and most times I will get Dunkin’s if the meet starts in the morning.
Q: What did it feel like to win the D-II title?
A: When I won the Division 2 state title, I felt that all my hard work had paid off from the season and I was able to perform the best I ever had that day. I felt very proud of myself and I was also surrounded by my coaches, teammates and family, who were all there too.
Q: What was your experience at New England’s like?
A: At New England’s, I went into the meet with a good mindset with my goal to just have fun since there was a lot of good competition. The high jump took three hours to complete and I was able to stay focused and came out placing 5th. It was very exciting to not only place at New England’s but to also jump a personal best, break the division 2 indoor records, and qualify for nationals.
Q: You’re a junior, what are some goals you have ahead?
A: My goals right now are to be consistent with getting high heights and to win states next year as well.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to athletes interested in jumping sports?
A: My advice to people who want to try high jump is that it’s going to take time to learn since there are a lot of technical pieces to it, some that I am still working on, and not to get discouraged because not every practice or meet is going to be perfect. Focus on the pieces that will make you become the best that you can be.