Saturday, June 21, 2014
Jai’Lyn Mosley was a runner in middle school. But thanks to her older sister Joh’Vonnie, she got involved with the throwing part of track and field.
“I saw my sister throwing and Coach J (Jeannette Domitrovich) said ‘Hey you can try it too,’” Mosley said. “I was horrible [at first]. But repetition got me into it.”
Four trips to Columbus later, she can rightfully claim two state championships, both coming this year in the shot put and the discus.
“A lot of people can’t say that,” Mosley said of making it to the state meet all four years. “It’s the hard work that gets you there.”
After some struggles in the past, Mosley put it all together for her final state meet by changing her mindset.
“I had a consistent season [last year],” Mosley said. “But I was second-guessing myself. I had a negative attitude towards it. But my senior year I said, ‘No, I have to [win].’”
And win she did in the discus, by about eight feet.
“I worked hard all through the winter with one goal and that was it,” Mosley said. “Mostly in the discus, I said, ‘No, I have to redeem myself.’”
Just for good measure, Mosley also took home the shot put title.
“The shot I was surprised,” Mosley said.
Mosley has great memories of being supported during her time at McDonald High School.
“I just can’t thank them enough,” Mosley said. “They all were just for me.”
Next year, Mosley will compete for Kent State. She plans to major in exercise science.
Joh’Vonnie has been at Kent State for the last four years and competed in the recent NCAA national meet for the Golden Flashes.
“I told myself that I wanted to go away just to get out from under that shadow,” Mosley said. “But there is a great coach there and I couldn’t pass it up.”