Dreher’s Jacory Patterson turns focus to 2020 Games in Tokyo
The eyes of most of the sporting world have been on Rio the past two weeks for the splendor of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Jacory Patterson has other thoughts while he trains during a record-setting heat wave in Columbia this summer – Tokyo 2020.
The rising junior at Dreher has made his mark on the junior track and field circuit, and hopes that carries over into the future. His success in the recent USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championship in Sacramento gives him hope he’s on the road to live out a long-time dream.
“There was a lot of competition in Sacramento, and it lets me see where I am against people world-wide,” Patterson said. “I would love to go to Tokyo 2020. That is the long-term goal.”
He has lofty goals for someone who is just 16 years old in a sport that athletes don’t usually reach their peak until their 20’s.
But Patterson did well enough in Sacramento that those goals don’t seem unrealistic. In the boys 15-16 division, he placed first in the long jump (23 feet, 6 inches), 3rd in the 200-meter dash (21.74 seconds), and 4th in the 100-meter dash (10.98) and triple jump (44-9 1/2).
Patterson attributes his additional training this summer in helping him reach such lofty goals. Patterson has been training with former Dreher coaches Dan Brooks and Bennie Isaac for almost three years in their Jump Start Speed and Agility Program in Columbia. Brooks focuses on the jumping aspect, while Isaac concentrates on the sprints.
Both coaches believe Patterson’s made his biggest improvement since the end of the high school track season.
“From his high school season to the summer circuits is where we’ve seen him make his biggest strides,” Isaac said. “We think during the fall is going to be big for his continued growth.”
Brooks said they’re just scratching the surface of Patterson’s potential.
“The improvements have been wide-ranged – from sprints to mechanics to growth and knowledge of the sport,” Brooks said. “It’s been a total maturation process that we’ve enjoyed watching. We’ve been able to do some things because he started to learn the sport and get fit and a little stronger.”
Patterson is no stranger to success. He already was a standout on the Blue Devils track team. He had two second-place finishes (400 meters, long jump), a fourth-place finish (200 meters) and a fifth-place finish (triple jump) in the 2016 Class 3A state meet.
He’s been running and jumping since sixth grade. He also played basketball, but has decided to give up hoopsto help reach his maximum potential in track and field.
Patterson didn’t always take track and field seriously. He started because he found he was always faster than other kids on the playground. The other reason was to see how many medals he could win.
Now, he sees it as an opportunity to shape his future.
“I always look at college results and compare my times to their times to see how close I am,” Patterson said. “Once I saw I was pretty close, my coaches told me how I could get those times with hard work. I know colleges are recruiting people with close to those numbers now. That motivates me to do better.”
Patterson has run in four meets this summer and found success at each one. The early success was only additional inspiration for where he wants to be by the time he finishes his high school career.
“I want to be running the 200 in 20.80. In the 100, I want to be around 10.4, and long jump high 24 (feet), low 25. I might not be doing the triple jump by the time I graduate,” he said. “The 200 and long jump are my best two events right now.”
Both coaches and Patterson agree he needs to get in the weight room and watch his nutrition to keep his improvement moving forward. Patterson is currently taking a break from training, but expects to resume activity later this month.
From there, the training will last through the track season in the spring.
“I need to get in the weight room and get stronger,” Patterson said. “The stronger you get, the more explosive you are and that helps not to get tired. I could be better with my agility and get in better shape. I’ve learned so much, but I know I’m only scratching the surface to what I need to do to keep improving.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Dreher’s Jacory Patterson turns focus to 2020 Games in Tokyo."