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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Toussaint transcending


Rashad Toussaint of West Valley soars through a jump in a meet at the school on March 30, when he won both the 100-meter dash and the jump events. 
 (Christopher Anderson/ / The Spokesman-Review)

Those closest to Rashad Toussaint aren’t afraid to put him out there – out in the public eye for what he can do and what he has done.

They’re predicting the slight West Valley senior could be the best triple jumper in state history.

“He’s a national class triple jumper,” veteran coach Jim McLachlan said. “If things go according to plan, before the state meet he’ll be past 50 feet. (The state record is 50-feet, 2-inches). Our goal is to go 51-something. … Our goal is for him to finish the season as the best-ever triple jumper in the state of Washington.”

That’s pretty bold, and a lot of pressure to heap on a young athlete who has let his emotions get the best of him to the point that he was kicked off the Eagles basketball team midway through the season.

“He has a tough time keeping team rules,” WV basketball coach Jamie Nilles said. “It wasn’t really big violations. … When he was with us he was really good. When he was out of our sight a little bit, he was reacting before thinking. He’s an explosive kid. … He would get bent out of shape when things go wrong and wouldn’t know how to handle things.”

That is something of which his parents, Tushana and Kent, are well aware.

“It’s more related to intensity than uncontrollable rage,” Kent said. “He’s pretty intense about his athletics. By no means do I condone it (but) that’s part of what helps spark his team. He gets pretty emotional when things aren’t going well.”

But just as telling is that his teammates, including those who would lose playing time, voted unanimously to have him back, which sparked West Valley to fourth place in the State 3A basketball tournament.

“He’s a very endearing kid, a good kid,” McLachlan said. “He has to learn to deal with frustrations. I think he feels a lot of pressure sometimes, though you’d never know it to look at him, but I think that is some of the problem. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and he knows the expectations others have of him.”

Yet, Toussaint won’t protect himself by keeping his goals to himself.

“I want to move up in the triple jump, at least 52, and at least 24 in the long jump,” he said without hesitation. “I’m working out harder, lifting weights, working on my own time. It’s just something I want to do.”

Nor is he afraid to address his past.

“I’ve had a few little problems with a lot of things,” he said. “I get frustrated. … I kind of go overboard.”

By all accounts, Toussaint seems to be getting a handle on his emotions.

“He had a temper,” his mother said. “He’s a lot better now. A lot of people talked to him about it, and so far he’s come along pretty good.”

Nilles said part of the improvement might be the suspension that came when he got into a fight with his brother Arton, the point guard for the basketball team.

“He’s turned a complete 180 … I think he has finally matured in that area,” Nilles said. “I think the incident helped. He’s going to be a better person and I think it will make him a better athlete, his thought process is better. … To his credit it made him have to make some adult decisions. … He’s been golden since then. We won’t know if it’s a success until maybe 10 years down the road.”

Almost as amazing as the emotional turnaround is what happened while he was suspended.

Toussaint went to McLachlan and asked about jumping in some indoor meets.

He went 46 feet the first week and then an astounding 48-8 3/4 the next, which was the fourth best indoor mark in the nation.

“I guess that tells you all I can do is coach him down,” McLachlan joked, shaking his head at the memory of the performance.

But that’s not true either, considering Toussaint won the last two State 3A triple jump titles, including a 49-2 1/4 leap last spring that would have been seventh in state history if not for a slight wind.

“He’s a really, really great competitor,” McLachlan said. “He’s able to grasp the moment when things aren’t going well. In the state meet he was behind two years in a row and came back to win the championship, which is a testament to his ability to focus.”

The physical side is also impressive, considering the way Kent Toussaint described his son.

“I don’t see, with his stature, how he can do it,” he said. “They list him at 5-10 or 5-11. He’s 5-9, if he’s lucky and maybe a buck fifty, about 145 (pounds).”

McLachlan explained, “He’s a tremendously strong individual. You find that out doing simple drills you do with all of your kids, all of your career. He does them so much better … pound for pound he’s extremely strong. And he’s not slow. He’s not a blazing kid, but he’s fast enough and I think he’s going to be faster this year.”

His father is still amazed.

“I never participated in track, my school was lucky that it had basketball,” said the former all-state player in Arkansas. “I helped him in that quite a bit. I don’t know what to tell him about how to run or how to jump. I just encourage him. It’s just natural ability I guess. I hope he continues to improve.”

Though his has decent grades, Toussaint is probably headed to a junior college because he hasn’t taken enough core courses. That isn’t all bad according to his dad, who thinks Rashad could use a little more time before he takes flight on his own.

“He does have that intensity. It’s an asset and a problem in my book,” Kent said. “He’s maturing (but) he’s got a ways to go.”

Rashad has one regret, but making a junior college pit stop on his way to almost any school he wants isn’t one of them.

“I had a great time with the basketball team this year. We got fourth place in state, I was very excited,” he said. “My heart is with basketball. It would be a good feeling to go to college on a basketball scholarship if I was as good as I am in the triple jump.”

Then there would be no limit.