Addi Hovey was feeling really good after clearing 5 feet, 6 inches, in high jump during the West Michigan Conference Rivers Division track and field meet Friday at Holton’s Red Devil Stadium.
Shortly thereafter, the Hart sophomore was over the moon thrilled. She climbed to rarified air.
Hovey shattered her own school record in high jump with an incredible leap of 5-11, which ranks her fifth nationally for girls high school leapers during the 2023 season, according to Athletic.net.
“I honestly still couldn’t believe it,” said said the 5-foot-10 Hovey, whose personal record prior to Friday was 5-5.5 set last season. “I was excited when I cleared 5-6, but after that I just couldn’t believe it.
“When I went to jump 5-6, I had that mentality that I could jump it. I told myself that I could do it. And so I got excited and knew that I had to keep doing the same thing over and over to clear the next heights.”
Hovey started her day at 4-6 and went up two inches with each attempt until she reached 5-2, then the height was raised to 5-3. After that, she went straight to 5-6. She cleared 5-11 with her 11th leap.
Hovey attempted 6 feet, but she missed all three of those tries.
Her previous best leap of the season was 5-4.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I am super excited with how I performed tonight in high jump,” said Hovey, a three-sport standout athlete, who has spent part of her track and field season playing travel basketball. She was an Associated Press Division 3 first-team all-state basketball player in helping Hart reach the state semifinals for the first time this season.
“I just want to say how I am super happy and thankful for all my teammates that were there to support me and cheer me on,” Hovey said. “I also want to say that I am really lucky and grateful to have Ken Kimes as my coach. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Hart’s girls team ran away with the WMC Rivers championship, as the Pirates amassed 240 points. Runner-up Ravenna finished with 101 points.
Hovey also ran legs on Hart’s first-place 4×100- and 4×200-meter relay teams.
“Addison Hovey made a memory for not just herself tonight, but for everyone that was able to see it,” Kimes said. “She was on fire. The series of jumps were phenomenal.
“She jumped 5-4, 5-6, then up by one-inch increments to (6-0). She is now tied for fifth in the U.S. for high school girls at 5-11. It was an awesome sight to see.”
With Hovey’s raw athleticism and her upside, plus the coaching of Kimes, who knows how much higher she can leap, especially if the weather remains pleasant.
This much is clear: Hovey is a competitor and she’ll be aiming for 6 feet or higher.
Six feet is the top height nationally at the moment. Seniors Riley Ward (Lewisville Flower Mound in Texas), Morgan Davis (Saraland in Alabama) and Heidi Hudson (Sumrall in Mississippi) are all tied for the nation’s top high-jump height for 2023.
“I feel that I can clear this height again and make 6-0, but it takes work,” Hovey said. “It won’t come easy, but I know it’s possible. I just have to believe in myself.”
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