West’s Daniels Seeks Second Straight TJ Gold

By

Bill Carr

For Brittany Daniels, it’s all about patience…!

Too fast, too furious, might be used to sum up Daniels’ hurried pursuit of track and field perfection in the difficult-to-master triple jump where she is currently the State leader with a personal best 42’7” effort.

The 6-foot multi-event performer says that patience may have been the most difficult ‘event’ to master along the road to an already stellar career as the Golden State’s leading triple jumper. Of her struggles with the “P” word, Daniels comments: “The key to success is hard work. But, it takes time. It’s a process. I’ve learned that you just have to be patient. I’ve never understood that until this year… a month ago.”

Daniels is out to defend her CIF State and Sac Joaquin Section triple jump titles while making up part of one of the SJS’ most formidable girls teams which also features defending section champions Jennifer Nash (100 meter dash) and Shevell Quinley (300 meter low hurdles). “We’re all really supportive of one another and are happy for each others’ success. There’s no jealousy or anything like that. When someone does really well, like Jennifer, we’re all so proud of her. I’m so proud of her, (the way she’s going) and proud of everyone on our team that’s coming up.”

Though the triple jump is her strongest event, Daniels also excels in the long jump (where she is also the defending SJS champ) with a season best, and section leading 19’3-1/2” mark, along with running legs on the Wolfpack’s 400 and 1600 meter relays squads.

As a youth, Daniels played basketball, and was encouraged by an aunt to give track and field a try. It was love at first sight! She quickly discovered she had an aptitude for the sport, thus igniting her rapid ascension to the top of the State’s triple jump elite.

Of Daniels’ accomplishments, Wolfpack head coach John Harvey observes: “The most challenging part of working with Brittany is that in practice, next to Jennifer (Nash), she’s one of the hardest workers. Her personal goals and expectations are way off the chart for high school athletes. As a coach she makes me do my homework and work harder to help her attain those goals.”

In her quest for a second straight State Meet gold, the unassuming and energetic jumper will undoubtedly, rely on the experience she garnered as a member of last year’s USA Youth World Team, which competed in Sherbrooke, Canada. Daniels placed 5 th against an international field of competitors with a leap of 42’2”.

With the ‘championship’ season rapidly approaching, Daniels (a junior) is dialed in and, while eager to once again, test herself against the State and nations best, now understands the most important component on her way to achieving her goals… Patience!