Cassville boy qualifies for national AAU meet
A Cassville boy has already cemented himself as one of the top 50 high jumpers in the nation, and he has an opportunity to go for a national medal this week at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
Cole Rainey, 10, of Cassville, has played soccer and done martial arts, but his greatest interest has been track and field — and he’s found success.
Competing with the Springfield Track Club, where his father, Bill Rainey, is a coach, Cole Rainey with a high jump of 3 feet, 6 inches, qualifying him for the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa, today (Wednesday) through Saturday.
“Cole competes year-round and there are three qualifying meets in the summer,” said Tania Morris, Rainey’s mother. “This is the second time he has qualified. Last year there were 50 kids and he got 25th.” Rainey’s placement is even more impressive considering he was only in his first year of high jump competition. Next year, Morris said he has his eyes set on the hurdles, which he will be only enough to run.
“[High jump is] kind of an easy thing to do, and not as many people do it,” Rainey said. “I chose to do high jump [last year] because it was like a new sport I had never tried.”
Rainey’s organized practices are 90 minutes and encompass running hills, running stairs, box jumping and other plyometrics to gain muscle strength.
Morris said beyond the fitness benefits, Rainey is also gaining experience that will help him in future sports.
“It will prepare him because schools don’t do track until seventh grade, so this will prepare him to be competitive because other have not been in meets before,” she said. “This will put him grades ahead in knowing what to expect having the experience of being in bigger competitions.
“Track and field also gets you ready for all other sports. He’s done martial arts and soccer, but I played basketball and hops to get him into that.”
Along with the athletics experience, Morris said AAU track has given the family opportunities for life experiences they would not otherwise enjoy.
“We get to travel and he gets to be around other people and different ethnicities, not being just in his hometown,” she said. “He competes against kids from bigger schools, which helps with the level of competition, and he does really well in school.”
Rainey said when it comes to the Junior Olympic Games, he hopes to improve on his placement last year.
“It’s fun,” he said. “Sometimes I get kind of nervous. But, I think I will do better.”
Though the meets are fun, Rainey said it’s the life experiences he’s most excited for.
“We get to talk a lot,” he said. “I’m most excited to go stay at a hotel and get breakfast.”
