Jack Vecellio added to his trophy collection this month.
The Clemson commit competed in the Nike Indoor National Indoor Championship and New Balance National Indoor Championship in back-to-back days on March 11 and 12, taking first in both events.
This past weekend, he took second at the Adidas Nationals, capping off a stellar winter season for the Frontier Regional senior.
“It was a great couple weeks,” Vecellio said. “These are extremely helpful meets. It gets you in a really competitive mindset where you’re going against great people.”
The first of the three major championships Vecellio competed in was the Nike Indoor National Championship, which took place on March 11 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.
Despite not feeling his best, Vecellio took first in the seven-person field with a jump of 15 feet, 11 inches.
He then stayed in the Big Apple and took part in the New Balance National Indoor Championship at The Armory Track in Manhattan, which turned out to be the best of the three for Vecellio. He set a personal best jump of 16-6¾, breaking his own Massachusetts indoor state record by doing so.
The meet certainly tested the senior’s stamina. With so many athletes participating, the jumping took over five hours at the event, meaning a lot of time sitting and waiting. Four other athletes hit the same mark Vecellio hit of 16-6¾, but he was the only one who made all of his jumps on his first attempt, which made him the winner.
“It was a great weekend,” Vecellio said. “I wasn’t feeling too well and was a little sick at the Nike event. Winning New Balance was the best thing ever. After I missed my third attempt on 16-10, there were two kids after me and if they missed too, I won. I was just watching them and when the last kid missed I was jumping up and down. I was so excited, it was the best feeling. I was seeded fifth but I just went in knowing I would do well.”
In a big event like New Balance, he knew it might come down to who could put up a clean sheet in case of a tie. He put an effort in to make every jump on his first attempt which ultimately sealed the win.
“I knew the other guys were good,” Vecellio said. “I went into it knowing it was going to be close. I had to clear everything on my first attempt if I wanted to win. That was my goal and I was able to do it.”
Last Saturday, Vecellio went down to Virginia and competed in the Adidas Nationals at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex. He took second with a top jump of 15-11¾.
The second-place finish was nothing to be upset about. The winner — Maddox Hamm of Scottsboro, Ala. — had a top mark of 18-1, which is the second-best height all time for high school athletes. Hamm is just a junior.
With so many events in a short span, Vecellio focused on recovery to make sure he could put up great numbers at all three events.
“We really limited practicing to twice a week,” Vecellio said. “Rest is the most important thing right now. When I’m going to these high energy, demanding meets, it’s important to be rested. I would stay home throughout the week, jump once or twice. I was really prepared for all three meets. Physically I was ready, where I was mentally was going to decide it. Thankfully I was ready mentally as well.”
With the indoor season drawing to a close, Vecellio is now preparing for the outdoor season with the Redhawks. He got off to a good start at practices this week, with his eyes set on breaking another state record before graduating.
“I’d like to be jumping 17-6 by states,” Vecellio said. “I’d like to break the outdoor state record, which is 17-1. I think I’ll be able to do that once it gets a little warmer. Those are my goals for the season.”