Two athletes who are entering their senior year this fall, Tyler Cash of Canyon and Solomon Strader of West Ranch, aren’t taking much of a summer break.
Instead of a trip to the lake, the mountains the coast or overseas, they’re traveling cross-country to participate against top competition.
Summer Cash hustle
“I am not going to take any time off training-wise, because other people are not taking any days off, and I’m not taking any chances,” Cash said. “I will work hard this whole summer and do what it takes to be the best.”
This past Sunday, Cash added another accolade to his ever-growing trophy collection, finishing in first place in the boys high jump at the USA Track and Field Region 15 Junior Olympic Championships at Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada.
His winning jump of 6 feet, 5-1/2 inches didn’t break the personal record he set at the CIF State Track and Field Championships last month, a mark of 6-10 that earned him second place in the state, but it was enough to claim the top spot in the event.
Up next for Cash will be the Junior Olympics Nationals in Sacramento starting on July 22, where he will compete against the top high jumpers from around the nation.
“I definitely want to be the best,” Cash said, “but it doesn’t come overnight.”
Strader’s strides
“I took two days off, and then I went right back to training,” Strader said. “We changed some things up the last couple of weeks and I just kept pushing through the fatigue of the season and the school year.”
Strader, coming off a third-place finish at the State Championships in the boys 400-meter with a time of 47.10, broke his state time and set a personal record at the Brooks PR Invitational at the University of Washington on Saturday, June 15.
His new PR of 46.59 earned him second place behind Emmanuel Bynum from Tennessee, who finished at 46.24. Strader’s time catapulted him to the No. 2 spot in California and the No. 11 spot in the entire country this year.
“It was such a thrill to be able to break 47. I knew it could happen but with track, everyone peaks at different points in the season, and I usually run my best towards the end of the year,” Strader said. “We also used to live in Seattle and had some family and friends come out and support us so, to be able to run that time was one of the most memorable races in my career.”
