Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Jamiya Reed is now a two-time region champion high jumper. Years of spiking and slamming the volleyball down at the net gave the junior the ability to sky above her peers.

Despite being blessed with natural athletic talent from a young age, she did not truly find sports until middle school. She was encouraged to come out for the basketball team in middle school, but that is not what her calling was. Instead, with no knowledge or understanding of the game, Reed tried out for volleyball in seventh grade, fell in love with the sport and has progressed to becoming a true all-round athlete at Troup High.

“Last year was a surprise because I didn’t know I could do it, but I really surprised myself,” Reed said. “This year was different, I set a goal for myself to win region again and qualify for state.”

She truly found her home on the volleyball court but was looking for a spring sport. She found track and field. Reed has done the vast majority of track and field events but specializes in the long jump and the high jump. In fact, this year she no longer did most of the running events to focus on her jumping ability.

“I did the high jump, the long jump, the 200, the 400 and ran in the relay team last year, but this year I wanted to focus more on jumping because I want to qualify for state this year,” Reed said. 

There is limited to next to no practice time for Reed. With her time playing club and high school volleyball, she rarely gets the chance to jump over the bar except for at meets. This is why she believes that her time and position on the volleyball court help her during the track and field season.

“Volleyball really helps me out because I have volleyball practice every day where I’m running and jumping the whole time, so I think doing that really helps me get ready for the long jump,” Reed said.

This season, Reed has reached new heights figuratively and literally. The soon-to-be senior set her personal record of 5’2” at Heard County on April 12. She is not done there and has her eyes firmly set on eclipsing 5’6” before she says goodbye to the sport.

Reed still has a handle to garner further accolades this season. She will be taking part in sectionals this weekend and a top-eight finish from her in that competition would see her qualify for state for the second time

“These tournaments are way bigger than the normal ones and every time I go to jump I get nervous, I really do,” Reed said. “There is nothing I can do at that point but just go run and jump.”

Reed is confident heading into the weekend. It comes not from a place of overly confident or cockiness, but a place of self-belief. She knows the disappointment of falling short at state, having finished 13th last year, and wants to come away with a different feeling.

“Last year I finished 13th which wasn’t bad, but the top eight get in the podium, so that is my goal this season,” Reed said.

Reed’s self-belief is also one of the reasons she will be a leader for the Troup volleyball team during her senior season. A Tiger to the bone, Reed is looking forward to one final run in blue and gold, but has unfinished business with her junior track and field season first.