Jumping At His Chances Sam Glanzer Will Have A Rare Opportunity This Summer: A Chance To Take It Easy
This summer, for the first time in years, Sam Glanzer doesn’t have to prepare for an upcoming athletic season. No football camp, no basketball league, no track workouts.
The Shadle Park senior and district triple-jump champion last week with a last-effort 44-7 leap, has always been busy. Besides being a track champion, Glanzer is a good student, a 180-pound All-Greater Spokane League guard in football and a reserve on the Highlanders’ state-tournament basketball team.
With graduation looming and no more high school sports in a week or two, he’ll be taking it easy this summer until he embarks on his Latter-day Saints church mission in November.
First, though, he plans to play the role of “graduate assistant” for the Highlanders’ football team next fall.
“If I didn’t have a sport, I’d be kind of lost. Like ‘What am I going to do after school today?”’ he said. “I’ve always looked forward to the next season. It keeps me going I guess.
“My favorite sport is the one I’m competing in at the time,” he added. “I’d rather be a well-rounded athlete. I don’t think you should focus on one specific sport in high school.”
Therefore, if it’s spring, he’s focusing on track. His goal in the triple jump is to exceed 46 feet with regional competition coming up this Friday and Saturday at Central Valley High and state in Tacoma the following week.
“I think what I’d be the most competitive in at a higher level is track, maybe football,” he said. “I think that I would be able to compete the best in the triple jump at (college).”
Shadle Park track and field coach Ivan Corley agrees.
“He’s had some good jumps that were scratches,” Corley said. “He needs to get faster and he’s working on it. He’s got springs; he’s a good jumper. He has the technique down and the rhythm that comes with doing it for three years. He’s not done maturing. From maturing comes strength and from strength comes speed.”
His mission comes first, which will postpone college for two years.
“I haven’t applied anywhere yet. That hasn’t been one of my struggles, something to stress out about,” he said. “Senioritis sure is kicking in, but you still have to make the time for your school work because if you don’t make the grade, you can’t compete.”
Glanzer said he’s looking forward to the mission, which hasn’t been assigned yet. He wants to travel abroad, like his brother who is in South Korea, but says anywhere would be fine.
“I enjoy coming out,” he said, “and being around the people is great, too.”
His short-term goal is to jump far enough now to be remembered in two years when his mission is completed.
A distance runner as a freshman because his brother was a distance runner, Glanzer switched to the triple jump his sophomore year with some 400s thrown in. Now he’s a jumper exclusively, including long jump and high jump.
“My goal is 46-2, the GSL record,” he said. “I think I have it in me. I don’t think I’ve peaked yet.”
Corley believes Glanzer’s positive attitude has played a part in holding him back.
Glanzer did all three jumping events at the expense of the triple jump in order to help the team. Often the triple and high jumps occur at the same time.
“Sam’s been a very unselfish kid the entire time I’ve known him in all the sports,” Corley said. “(Doing three events) takes its toll physically.”
But it keeps Glanzer busy and he likes it like that.
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