High jumper Alyssa Staudt’s flight path lands her at Western Illinois
Rockford senior Alyssa Staudt is a two-time state medalist in the high jump. With a personal-best clear of 5 feet, 6 inches achieved earlier this season, Staudt is ranked among the top jumpers in the state.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
ROCKFORD — Spring has sprung.
And for many of the local high school track teams, that means competition has moved from indoors to outdoors.
For Rockford high jumper Alyssa Staudt, such a transition doesn’t really matter. But …
“You obviously have a more controlled environment indoors … no wind, no cold,” the Warrior senior said. “But I just love jumping no matter if it’s indoors or outdoors.”
During the indoor season, Staudt recorded a season-best clear of 5 feet, 6 inches, which has her in a top-spot tie among the state leaders. What makes that a conundrum for Staudt is that was her goal height to reach by the end of the season.
With that already achieved, where does Staudt go from here? — Up, most likely.
“Hopefully, I can continue to improve,” she said. “My next goal is just to get as high as I can.”
On Monday, Staudt signed her letter of intent to jump for Western Illinois University, a Division 1 program based in Macomb, Ill.
“I’m super happy about the opportunity,” Staudt said shortly before signing.
Staudt is a multiple state and Drake Relays qualifier. As a freshman at Murray High School, she placed 14th at the State Track and Field Championships before medaling twice as a Warrior with a fifth-place finish as a sophomore and a sixth-place finish last year.
In addition to participating in basketball and softball, Staudt is a prominent member of the Rockford FFA. She recently was named FFA state champion in Proficiency in Small Animal Care and Production.
The reigning Floyd County Fair queen will study animal science at Western Illinois.
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