The Arizona track and field community has seen one nation's top athletes have her career come to an end way too early.
Chandler (Ariz.) track star Jasmine Todd tore her ACL while practicing the triple jump in practice recently.
It deprived track fans of being able to give her a proper sendoff at the state meet, where she would have likely won at least two individual titles after what was expected to be an historic run.
"(She is handling it) a lot better than the rest of us," Chandler coach Eric Richardson told the Arizona Republic. "She's a tough character."
Todd is one of most highly decorated track athletes in state history with seven individual titles and a few more in the relays. This year she ranked No. 1 in the country in the long jump (20 feet and 1 1/2 inches) and owns the state record in the triple jump at 41-5.
In the 100-meter dash, she entered the week 10th nationally with a time of 11.76.
Chandler track team featureIn a recent interview at the Chandler Rotary, Todd was excited to see her career with the Wolves come to an end with the next chapter to being in Oregon.
"There is a comfort there knowing I have a place to go," she said. "It takes the pressure off and lets you just go out and compete and push yourself without any worries. I can't wait to see how things are in college and testing what the next level is really like."
But that doesn't mean she wasn't relishing her last few months in a Chandler uniform.
"There is some great talent here and if I can help them then that is what Chandler track is like," she said. "(The younger teammates) push me too. We all make each other better."
The Wolves have plenty of talent to win their seventh-straight Arizona big-school title and remain the favorites, but losing Todd's championship talent in four events opens the door, however slightly, for other programs like Desert Vista (Phoenix) and Xavier (Phoenix), not mention hurting Chandler's chance at national events over the summer.
Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothill News staff writer, is a 15-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.
