Junior Olympics: Reeves runs strong in family’s business

Tagging along with dad to practice has helped Tiani Reeves blossom into one of the state’s best pre-high school track and field athletes.

The 12-year-old from Gothenburg owns two Nebraska Association records in the Bantam Girls division (ages 10 and under), and had a long jump of 16 feet, ¼ inch earlier this season for the Midget (11-12) division record.

Tiani’s father, Steve, has been the boys and girls cross country coach at Gothenburg for 29 years and track coach of both teams for 21 seasons.

“She’s been competing for six years now and has shown some ability since she was very young,” Steve Reeves said. “She’s been around the high school kids that whole time and has just had a knack for the sport.”

Reeves will look to improve her marks in the long jump and 200- and 400-meter dashes today and Sunday at the Nebraska Association USA Track and Field Junior Olympics at Burke Stadium. More than 750 athletes in five boys and girls age groups have registered.

The top six finishers in each event will advance to the Region 8 meet, which will be held at Burke Stadium from July 9 through 12. The top three finishers at the regional meet advance to the National Junior Olympics from July 28 through Aug. 2 in Greensboro, N.C.

Reeves is a strong candidate to make her third straight trip to the national meet. Two years ago at the nationals in Walnut, Calif., Reeves finished fourth in the 200 in 27.88 seconds after setting the association record in the prelims with a 27.67.

She then set the national meet and association records in the long jump at 15-3½, but finished second. The winning jump didn’t count as a record because it was aided by a wind of 2.2 meters per second and nothing over 2.0 is allowed for record consideration.

Reeves also competed in the national meet at Burke last season. Though she was among the youngest in her division, Reeves finished seventh in the 400 (1:00.73) and third in the long jump (15-¾).

This season Reeves has jumped farther than 16 feet three times, but Steve Reeves said his daughter has focused more on her track events recently, so he’s not sure how things will go this weekend.

“She’s hoping to get close to 60 seconds in the 400 and she has to attack the curve better in the 200,” Reeves said. “We’re just trying to have some fun together, but she’s serious about it and we work hard when we’re out there.”

In the association’s state youth championship, Reeves lost in the 200 to Omaha’s Ahmani Green. That’s the kind of competition Reeves said his daughter needs.

“Out here, she doesn’t have people to compete with so she has to do a lot on her own,” Reeves said. “Ahmani has been running really well this year, and I think they’re both looking forward to this weekend.”

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