Improbable journey ends with Emma Lawrence winning first two state titles at Garrard County

Emma Lawrence, a Boston University signee, was all smiles after winning two state titles. (Daylen Morris Photo)

The story just sounds too good to be true. Family moves from Lexington to live in Garrard County when Emma Lawrence is in the fifth grade. She’s always been a gymnast so she continues training in Lexington until she was in seventh grade when she gave up gymnastics because it was too hard on her body.

She joined the Garrard track team her sophomore year as a lark, just something to do for fun. She won the long jump at her first meet and caught the eye of Daylen Morris, who was coaching at Mercer County. Later she saw him when he was working at the Boyle County Fair and told her about an AAU track team he coached.

“I thought it sounded good and it just snowballed into what it is now,” said Lawerence.

What happened is that she is now a two-time Class AA state track champion — the first state champion in any sport in the history of Garrard County High School.

She won the long jump with a leap of 19 feet and then took the triple jump with a jump of 40 feet, 2.5 inches — a Class AA state record (the overall state mark was set Saturday by Sophie Galloway of Marshall County at 41-7 3/4). Lawrence easily won both championships.

Morris, now the track coach at Boyle County, was not surprised she won either event.

“I have been working three summers with her and what she did were our expectations. We thought she should win,” Morris said. “Our goals were to win state and also break state records. She has done it all year long and did it during the summer season. Still, you never know what can happen with the weather or a foul.”

Lawrence did face about a 90-minute weather delay that came after she won the long jump and before the triple jump-started.

Lawrence, a senior, was happy to win but disappointed she didn’t have a better distance in the long jump.

“I also had a higher goal for the triple jump. I was a little upset with my jumps but still happy I won,” Lawrence said.

She had no idea she was Garrard’s first state champion in any sport until after she won her titles.

“I really have not thought about that too much. I am sure it will eventually sink it. I definitely have been feeling the love from everyone for winning,” she said.

“Honestly, it’s kind of crazy. I am honored and so grateful and blessed to have had this opportunity. Most of the time winning a state title would be amazing but I still know I could have jumped better. I know I have 20 feet in me in the long jump and I would like to jump 41, or at least 40-9, in the triple.”

Lawrence isn’t sure what made her a natural jumper. School officials say her competitive drive is unmatched. She thinks tumbling made her “bouncy” and she has “long legs” that help get her in the air.

However, she credits Morris for most of her track success.

“He has completely made me the jumper I am today. He has been with me pretty much since the beginning with technical work and showing me the right way to do the triple jump,” she said. “I still remember my first meet when one of the officials told me I had a really good jump. I had no idea. I didn’t even know what a good jump was. I thought I was just good for that meet.”

Once she started working with Morris, her numbers improved and she still remembers the first college recruiting letter that came to the school.

“I never dream joining the track team would turn into something like this,” she admitted. “But I fell in love with it.”

She signed a Division I track scholarship with Boston University even though she could not visit the school because of the pandemic. She knows that is a big move for a girl who has been living in Garrard County but says she is still more of a “city girl” because of her Lexington roots.

“Boston is such a good school. I love the head coach and the jumps coach,” she said. “I just think it will be a cool adventure. There are so many opportunities there for me and I believe I should expose myself to as much as I can. This has all been such a crazy ride but I am so blessed and thankful for it all.”

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Lawrence will join myself and Tim Estes on WPBK (102.9 FM, wpbkfm.com) Thursday at 7:30 a.m. So will state champions Lucy Singleton and Abby Bastin of Lincoln County, who are only the third and fourth state winners ever at Lincoln.