Friday, April 20, 2001
Boone County's Jones has strong track record
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
Boone County senior sprinter Christen Jones and senior teammate Virginia Heuer were stretching and teasing each other during practice.
“You're full of problems,” Heuer finally told Jones.
The only problems Jones causes are for runners who think they can beat her. Jones is the defending Class AAA state champion in the 100-meter dash, the runner-up in the 200 and third-place finisher in the 110-meter hurdles.
“I felt I've come a long way,” Jones said. “I just go out and run.”
Among Northern Kentucky runners, that's like saying Roger Clemens can throw a baseball.
Jones long ago rewrote Boone County's track record book. She holds the top time in the 100 (12.1 seconds), 200 (25.6) and 300 hurdles (46.6) and the longest leap in the long jump (17-6 1/2) and triple jump (32-4 1/2).
“She's grown up, she's matured,” Boone County coach Tim Schlotman said.
Jones became a mainstay when she joined the Rebels program four years ago after moving to Florence from Alton, Ill. It was a tough transition - she said moving away from family and friends to a much larger community was a difficult adjustment.
Her outlet was track, and by the end of her freshman season in 1998 she began to make an impact. She won the regional 100 and 200 titles her freshman and sophomore years.
At the 1999 state meet, Jones took second in the 300 hurdles (46.66) and sixth in the 100 (12.82) despite taking it up two weeks before the state meet.
That's when she decided she couldn't get by on talent alone. She gave up basketball and started working out in the summer and competing for the Northern Kentucky Track Club.
And the extra work paid off last season.
In February 2000, Track and Field News said Jones' 55-meter time of 7.04 seconds at the Mason-Dixon Games in Louisville was the fifth best in the nation at the time.
Schlotman placed her in as many as 11 events: 100 and 200 dashes; 100 and 300 hurdles; 400, 800 and 1,600 relays; high jump; long jump; triple jump; and shot put.
“I told her I got tired of putting her name on the (record list),” Schlotman said last season. “I wish we had the heptathlon they have collegiately.”
In the state meet, Jones overcame what she called a “terrible start” to win the 100 dash.
“I was really surprised,” Jones said of her 100-meter win. “I was thinking I'd do better in the hurdles.”
Jones is turning in some strong times this season — a 15.1 in the 100 hurdles and a 25.5 in the 200 March 31 at LaSalle.
“Her early-season times this year are close to her best times last year,” Schlotman said.
Jones would like to study criminology in college next year - Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Louisville are the short list for now. Until then, she'll just enjoy her high school career.
“I'm just wanting to see how the rest of my year turns out,” she said.
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Boone County's Jones has strong track record
