Motivated Kernel standout Audrey Miller aims for state meet return in triple jump

May 13—MITCHELL — As its name suggests, the triple jump is comprised of three phases.

In order to get the most out of the overall leap, top athletes strive to even out the three and avoid having a stage that's significantly weaker than the rest.

For Audrey Miller, earning a place among South Dakota's best in the discipline required a second balancing act between the physical and mental aspects of the sport.

It took some time, a little bit of disappointment and a lot of dedication, but big-time results are starting to show for the Mitchell High School junior. At Mitchell's home triangular meet on April 29, Miller reached 35 feet, 7.75 inches, in her standout event. Later in the week, she followed it up with a personal-record leap of 36 feet, 2 inches, at the O'Gorman Invite on May 2. Not only did she win the triple jump at both competitions, but she established a new career-best in the process.

"It obviously felt pretty good because I haven't PR'd for a while," Miller said. "It's always been kind of a confidence thing. I've always known I probably could do it, but I just didn't really believe in myself. Once I got that aspect back, jumping has come a lot easier and I've felt more in the rhythm of things."

In 2023, Miller, then just a freshman, qualified for the Class AA state meet in the triple jump, but an up-and-down sophomore campaign left Miller just shy of qualifying for the final meet of the season a year ago.

As Miller aims for a return to the state meet field, new MHS jumps coach Tayah Waldera has played a crucial role in Miller's development in the technical foundations of the sport. That, paired with an elevated level of motivation coming off her 2024 shortcomings, has led to major improvements.

With her most recent personal best, which ranks No. 7 in Class AA and No. 8 in South Dakota overall, Miller has already jumped 2 feet, 2 inches, farther than she did at any point as a freshman. That's also more than 3 feet clear of the best mark from her sophomore season.

"I feel like she has a lot of determination right now, especially going into the end of the season," Waldera said. "She's really working hard at practice and trying to be a leader."

"She's always had these jumps in her," Thill added. "She's so athletic and such a great jumper. It's always been about just putting it all together. That has obviously been very rewarding for her as far as increasing her distances."

While it took finding a new level of confidence to unlock Miller's longest jumps to date, doing so has created something of a self-fulfilling cycle. With each good performance, Miller, who is also a solid long jumper and has tried her hand at the javelin throw, gains even more confidence. In turn, gaining confidence pushes Miller to excel even more at her best event.

Now, with the state meet ahead at the end of May, Miller's focus is on consistently performing at a top level. Preparing to compete at her second state championship meet, she's drawing on her past experience for an extra confidence boost, too.

"Nos. 2-10 are a really close range, so I think if I can just really compete that day, I'd be happy anywhere between," Miller said. "I just need to focus on the mental side because having that confidence aspect is really all I need."