COLUMBUS — Shelby Grover talked to God before her third long jump Friday afternoon in Columbus.
The Lucas senior had fouled her first two jumps, meaning her foot had crossed the take-off line and they would not be counted.
The second seed in the Division III state contest at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, having won district and regional titles the weekends prior, Grover was expected to challenge for the title. She placed second in the event at last year’s state meet.
Now, she was one failed jump away from elimination in the semifinal round.
“My first two jumps were fouls and I’ve never fouled before like that, ever. So I was like, ‘Well, you’ve got one more jump or else you’re not making it to the finals at all,'” Grover recalled thinking. “(And) I was just like, ‘I know God didn’t bring me this far to only bring me this far.'”
Grover prayed about it underneath the noontime sun.
“I was just like, ‘Calm my nerves, relax me,'” she recalled saying. “‘Just give me the power to do it.'”
Her prayers were answered.
Grover jumped 18 feet, 2.5 inches in her third attempt, giving her the second-best mark in the field and securing her spot in the final round. And she never looked back.
The multi-sport star used her fourth jump to pass Fort Recovery junior Mara Pearson, the top-seeded jumper coming into state, and take the lead. Her leap of 18 feet, 5.75 inches bested Pearson’s previous top mark by two inches.
Pearson roared back with a fifth leap of 18 feet, 5 inches, narrowing the gap with one jump left. But she couldn’t overtake Grover. Pearson fouled her final jump, leaving Grover victorious after six rounds of back-and-forth suspense.
“I knew it was gonna be a battle between her (and I), and we both knew it, looking at the jumps,” Grover said with a smile. “I’m just very thankful that I came out on top.”
Grover was overcome with emotion when the result became official. She immediately bolted to the infield, where she hugged her coaches, and tears welled in her eyes.
Grover, a Kent State University commit, had competed in six events at the state meet over the last two seasons (her freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). She had placed second twice and third once.
She had never won a state title. Until now.
“It meant a lot to me,” Grover said afterwards. “Not only did I want to win it for myself, but I have such an amazing group of coaches and supporters (and) I wanted to win it for them, too. I’m just very thankful that this was a part of God’s plan for me.”
Grover will have the opportunity to win two more state titles on Saturday. She finished first in her heat and first overall in 300-meter hurdles prelims on Friday, leading the field with a blistering time of 44.08 seconds. She also finished second in her heat and fourth overall in the 100-meter hurdles prelims with a time of 14.75 seconds.
The 100-meter hurdles finals will take place Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The 300-meter hurdles finals will follow at 10:40 a.m.
Grover followed up her championship long jump performance Friday with a sixth-place finish in the high jump. Seeded third coming into state, Grover recorded a high mark of 5 feet, 2 inches – just three inches short of the championship height.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more details.
