Wilson Memorial’s Lawhorn sisters are jumping for joy in a record-breaking year

FISHERSVILLE — It’s hard to say how many people watching knew what that high jump on the last Saturday in April meant to Wilson Memorial senior Katie Lawhorn. It is probably safe to assume that most did not. His little sister, Maddie, who was waiting for his jump, certainly knew.

That the jump broke the school record was part of why it was special but maybe not at the top of the list. Just the fact that he was jumping was probably number 1.

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At the end of her second season, Katie underwent shin splints. She took a summer walk — “No running, no jumping, no nothing,” she said — hoping to be healthy enough for volleyball season in the fall. He played the rest of the season, but that put a lot of stress on his already injured shins.

“It got to the point where it was really painful, really bad, even when I was just walking around,” she said.

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She took three weeks off after volleyball, hoping it would help enough for the indoor track season. It didn’t happen. Physical therapy didn’t help, so Lawhorn finally got an MRI that showed four fractures in his right leg. That ended his track season. He rested again in the summer.

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As one of Shenandoah County’s top volleyball players, the hope was that everyone else would allow her to return to the court this past fall. Once again, his hopes were dashed.

“When I realized that I won’t be able to play volleyball at all, it was very painful,” said Katie. “I was devastated when I got the news. Knowing that my entire season was over was very difficult.”

It wasn’t easy for Maddie either.

“It was sad that he had to sit out the volleyball season because I really enjoyed (playing with him),” said Maddie, a sophomore. “That was my first varsity season and it would have been great to play together.”

Back to the high jump

During his track season, sitting out was the best decision. Not only did she miss volleyball but also the indoor track season, although her coach, Mark Rosson, said Katie did a great job, even recording videos of other athletes to review their technique.

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“I was the king of the iPad,” Katie joked.

He also watched the outdoor season this spring. Although she is not fully cured, Katie is making the best of a bad situation. And the good news is that she jumps with her sister, so they both get one season of sports together.

Both of them have been jumping up and down since they started. Their mother, Jennifer, used to jump a lot at Buffalo Gap, so she has helped some with teaching techniques.

“I knew from the second I started competing in it that this was my thing,” said Katie. “I really like it.”

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This spring, Katie and her coach had a good plan for deciding where to jump. Of course it wasn’t. Come the postseason, he’ll jump between the Shenandoah Region or Region 3C, but not both since he’s already eligible.

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On April 25 at the Augusta Invitational in Fishersville, both sisters jumped. And they both had personal beauty.

For Maddie, she jumped 5-1, three inches better than before and good enough to be second to Katie in the meet.

“I was very surprised,” Maddie said. “My PR before was 4-10 and that was just too shocking to get, so a three-inch PR is crazy.”

Katie was as excited for her sister as she was for her jump, saying that she can’t wait to see what Maddie does for the rest of the year and her last two years of high school.

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Katie, meanwhile, not only jumped a personal best, but a school best, setting the Wilson Memorial outdoor high jump record at 5-3 1/2, half an inch better than the previous mark set in 2018. The night before the meet, Katie expressed how much she wanted the record, saying it was her biggest goal this season. He did so less than 24 hours later.

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“I was so excited,” Katie said after the jump. “I was really happy, especially with all the things I had to deal with, to know that I’m back where I was and I’m finally improving and it’s a really cool feeling.”

Both credit Roson, who recently arrived at Wilson, for their improvement.

“This season has been the best season I’ve ever had in my life,” said Katie. “I feel like I have improved a lot this season because of his coaching.

Both sisters competed in the shot put and discus this spring, events that didn’t put too much pressure on Katie. He used to do some of the running and blocking events, but he didn’t anymore.

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Maddie has been attempting the pole vault, clearing 6 feet this year. An event he wanted to try. Now he might stick to it.

“She’s taken off like a rocket this year,” Roson said of Maddie, who has been trying to match her sister’s record for two-plus years. Katie, for one, believes she will eventually do that.

As for Katie, competitive sports are over after this year. She will attend East Tennessee State with a major in exercise science to become a physical therapist. It was a career he had considered before his injury, but was sold after his experience two years ago. In terms of sports, he is considering club volleyball.

“I would like to find a way to get back to enjoying sports freely,” he said.

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He still has a few meetings left before he can turn his full attention to college. And regardless of the outcome in those events, this has been a successful year in track and field for both Lawhorn sisters.

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Patrick Hite is a reporter for The News Leader. News ideas and tips are always welcome. Connect with Patrick (him/her) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared in the Staunton News Leader: Katie and Maddie Lawhorn find Wilson Memorial success in high jump.