By Chris Parker
Track runs in Warsaw’s Love family.
Parker Love is a senior at SBU competing at the NCAA Division II national meet in Colorado this weekend while his younger brother Fisher is competing at the Class 3 state track meet in Jefferson City.
It created a bit of a dilemma for Parker and Fisher’s parents with their dad going to Colorado with Parker and mom staying in Missouri with Fisher.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE MEET
“He (Fisher’s dad) said not to do anything too crazy because he wasn’t going to be here,” Love said.
The thing the younger Love did was win a Class 3 state long jump state title.
Love was in second place going into finals and after four jumps. On his fifth jump, Fisher leapt 22-feet-10.75 inches taking a 3/4th inch lead on Lutheran South’s Ike Fronabarger.
He credited some encouragement from the crowd and fellow competitors along with the finality of a senior track meet with the big leap.
“I usually start getting a clap going before I jump and that usually pushes me to go a little harder and a little faster,” Love said. “Being a senior this year, I had to go out there and give it my all to make it. I think that is what pushed me, being a senior and getting a clap going.”
The narrow lead still left some worry for Love.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
“I was scared because I knew the dude behind me still had one jump left, but I was pretty happy because I had just PR’ed two times in a day and happy that I was in first,” Love said.
In the end, Love’s 6.98 leap held up for the championship.
He credited his brother, Parker, with helping him improve if not necessarily offering meet day advice.
“I texted him (Parker) this morning and he didn’t respond, so that was a little rude of him, but we really help each other out a lot,” Fisher Love joked. “He will help me out with my form. He really saved my year this year. He is the one that got me into this sport and I can’t tell him how much I appreciate and love him for that.”
