Entering the week of the Hayward Premiere, my mind was cluttered from the frustrations of the Baldy Castillo Invitational. As I placed dead last, I felt out of tune the whole week and I could not figure out why. On the plane ride back, I realized that there were some things I needed to change in my life to achieve success for the season. 

The first thing I needed to do was motivate myself over the loss I suffered. I decided to print the results and hang them on my bathroom door. Seeing that piece of paper every day helped me perform my best during practice and beyond.

The second thing I needed to do was become one with myself. I worked on breathing exercises and balance to build myself up. I went to the Student Recreation Center every day for two weeks straight to build a mindset of blocking the noise. With a lot of people in the building, it helped to focus on my mental strength and improve each day. Lastly, I focused on being the best person I could be. I believe if I am able to produce quality work for myself, I will be able to flourish in other parts of my life.

After each practice, I am able to say that I gave it my all, despite my body aching each day. I felt myself peaking.

I was not ready for the nine-hour drive to Oregon, but I was able to talk to different teammates and make the time go by a little quicker. From getting food at a farmers market to trying Dutch Bros. Coffee for the first time, the trip was a blast.

One of my main friends from high school, Daniel Ward, transferred to Oregon, and I felt like seeing him would really help me out mentally. Bonding with my friends Daniel, James, Sam and Makayla, the stress of the meet decreased, and I started to feel relaxed as the days went by. Hanging in the hotel with Mitch, Lucas and Taino helped grow our bond before the meet.

Meet day came along, and looking at the newly renovated Hayward Field is something that people can only imagine. In a huge stadium full of green and yellow representing University of Oregon, it was hard for me not to feel nervous.

Practicing my approach over the bar and getting my body ready, I just thought in my head, “you have nothing to lose, they have everything to lose.” I instantly got over my nerves and just jumped.

I progressed from 6-feet-2-inches to 6-feet-6-inches without missing, and with each attempt, I felt as straight as an arrow. I barely missed the next height at 6-feet-8-inches, but I felt accomplished because I rebounded from the last meet and I sensed myself getting stronger. I realized that my season goal of going to regionals is still alive if I just focus on staying consistent and letting everything play itself out.