Sports

Raising the bar

• GISA Region 3-AAA champ Stephen Cannady will try to avenge a second-place finish in the high jump at last year’s state tournament starting today at Hugh Mills.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — Sherwood Christian Academy high jumper Stephen Cannady remembers the day he had an epiphany.

A hyperactive seventh-grader at the time, Cannady felt the need to jump and touch anything above him – whether it was the ceiling, a tall light fixture, the top of a doorway — anything that seemed out of reach, he had to get his hands on.

Then Stephen's father, John, took him to a track and field meet and Stephen's eyes lit up when he saw the athletes leaping over the bar in the high jump event.

It was love at first sight.

"I thought it was awesome," Cannady said. "I wasn't old enough to do it yet, but I told my dad right there – that's what I want to do."

And with John, the retired Army man, providing the work ethic as a personal coach, Stephen transformed his jumping habit into organized excellence as a top high jumper for Sherwood.

A sophomore, Stephen won the GISA Region 3-AAA tournament for the second year in a row and hopes to avenge a runner-up finish in last year's high jump at the state tournament starting today and concluding in Saturday's finals at Hugh Mills Stadium.

He will captain Sherwood along with sprinter Nile Knapp, who won the 300-meter hurdles at region and is probable to run today with a pulled hamstring.

"I know my chances are pretty good," said Cannady, whose jump of 6 feet, 5 inches marks the best jump in the state this season. "I'll be going for 6-6."

His father, who has been with him every jump of the way, cannot believe Stephen is only two inches off the GISA state record of 6-7 set in 1982.

"I don't understand how he can do it," John said. "You look above the mat and you see that bar sitting over six feet and it's just amazing to think he's getting up in the air over that."

When Stephen took up the sport, John bought videos and magazines to research how toPracticing compulsively and putting his dad's new-found research to work, the light switch turned on. Stephen developed his form and took his jumping to another level – not losing a single meet, aside from his second place finish at state last year, in his two-year career.

"I'll never forget his first meet," John said. "Stephen was a freshmen and he was competing against ninth, 10th and 11th graders. When he made his jump, they all stood back in awe, like 'Wow, we're getting beat by this kid.'"

Ironically enough, Stephen attributes a lot of his success to his first love - soccer.

Growing up with two older brothers who went to college on a soccer scholarship, Stephen enjoyed soccer more than anything, playing it as much as he could.

The combination of all the soccer, all the jumping, all the coaching from his dad, along with his slender build has molded the form that has turned out all the accomplishments.

But most importantly to head boys track coach Ted "Rock" Knapp, to go along with his physical attributes, Stephen brings consistency to the field.

"He's so unemotional," said Knapp, who also coaches Stephen, a wide receiver/linebacker in football. "He doesn't have good or bad days, the circumstances never affect him. He just goes out there and competes."

That same attitude is shared by sprinter and teammate Nile Knapp.

Knapp, who is the starting running back for Sherwood, is nursing a hamstring injury but said on Wednesday that he is likely to race but will not jeopardize his football career if he feels any discomfort.

"It's discouraging because I don't know if I'll be 100 percent," Knapp said. "I'm still hoping to pull out a top three in all three of my events."

The sophomore won the 300 hurdles at the region tournament last week and finished in the top three in the 100 and 200 as well.

"Nile just wants to run," said Rock.

That love for running reads like a page right out of teammate Stephen Cannady's book.

Just ask Stephen why he loves to compete in the high jump and he will put it quite simply: "I just want to see how high I can jump."

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