Anna Hall Looking Forward To Focusing On High Jump At Great Southwest


Anna Hall is hoping there's still some spring left in her legs at the Great Southwest Classic.  

Because the Highlands Ranch Valor Christian (CO) High sophomore, who is just a week off a heptathlon win at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Havana, Cuba, is still searching for a big jump to end her track and field season. 

Fortunately, she's got just a few more meets to do it. 

On Saturday in Albuquerque, she'll compete in the high jump with a title in mind. 

"At New Balance (Nationals Indoor), we really tapered leading up to it," Hall said of her national indoor title in the high jump in March. "So when I got there, my legs were under me and I felt spring. I really haven't felt that all outdoor season, so we're hoping maybe this weekend that can change at Great Southwest." 

Hall went a career best 5 feet, 10.5 inches at New Balance, but she found it more difficult to replicate that height over the outdoor season. Mostly, she said, that was the result of a busy season -- in various meets this year she would sprint, hurdle and jump, not to mention she earned a US No. 2 effort in the heptathlon at the Arcadia Multis in April. 

What that meant was that she rarely got a chance to focus on the high jump, which has always been one of her favorite events. As an eighth grader, she earned a first-place finish at the USATF National Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships.

Still, she continued to best her previous outdoor marks, going a personal best of 5-8 in early may at the Jeffco Elite Meet. 

When the Colorado Track and Field Championships came around, however, Hall recorded a runner-up finish in a height of 5-6. Meanwhile, on the track she flourished, winning state titles in the 100m hurdles (14.62) and 300m hurdles (43.17), as well as a fourth-place finish in the 400m (56.43). 

And yet, Hall felt something was missing. 


"I was really happy with the hurdles, we've been working a lot on those," Hall said. "But I was disappointed on how I finished in the high jump. I want to get back to where I was over the indoor season." 

On Saturday, Hall said she will get back to the basics at Great Southwest. Hall will move on to New Balance Nationals Outdoor and the USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Sacramento after that. 

"I've been resting and trying to get my legs back," Hall said. "I haven't done an open high jump in a very long time, so it will be interesting. I want to jump as high as I can and see what happens."