Exeter's Denee Hibbert reclaims her Berks triple jump crown after a three-year wait

May 14—Denee Hibbert arrived as a county champion three years ago. She was a freshman and her career held endless possibilities.

How many times could she win? How far could she jump? Records, gold medals, so much was on the horizon.

Not much went according to plan. Hibbert's sophomore season was wrecked by a stress fracture in her shin. Her junior season was canceled by COVID-19.

When Exeter's senior arrived at the Firing Meet Thursday, she was still chasing that second county title. After one eye-opening attempt in the triple jump, it was clear she was going to get it.

Hibbert reached 38-0.5, a PR and Firing Meet record, and bookended her Berks career with gold. It was a long road back to the top.

"I've learned to believe in myself," Hibbert said. "I would go with the flow as a freshman. This year I came in and I knew what I had to do. I just had to do it."

Six other Berks athletes were crowned during the first day of competition at Shillington.

Schuylkill Valley's Ashlyn Giles set a meet record in the shot put at 49-0.5. Wilson's Caryn Rippey (3200) and Twin Valley's Haylee Edwards (pole vault) were the other girls champs.

Wyomissing's J'ven Williams (discus), Muhlenberg's T.J. White (high jump), Twin Valley's Noah Taylor (3200) won on the boys side.

Hibbert hasn't been around much this spring. She only competed in one invitational at Hershey in April. This was her first meet in Berks since 2019.

"It was cool coming in here," she said. "People were like, 'We know her name but we don't know who she is.' "

A formal introduction was made on Hibbert's first attempt. She broke 38 for the first time, pulling within 10.5 inches of the county record owned by Wilson's Amanda Tony. It looked like this was going to be a monster performance.

The schedule complicated matters. Hibbert had to leave the triple jump area twice to compete in the 100 and 200 trials. That sapped some of the energy from her final five attempts.

The county record will remain a goal heading into districts and states.

"That's what we're shooting for," Exeter jumps coach Anthony Greene said. "I thought today would be it. It wasn't. We're not going to cry about it or dwell on it."

Hibbert was a reluctant participant in the triple jump three years ago. When she came out for the team as a ninth grader, she wanted to run around the track. Preferably as fast as possible.

The triple looked hard. It looked complicated. It is both of those things.

"I didn't want to do it at first," Hibbert said. "I did it. I got first. That's when I was like, 'I'm kind of stuck with it.'"

Hibbert reached 36-6.5 as a freshman, an extraordinary distance given her age and lack of experience.

The senior's attitude toward the event started to shift the following year when she couldn't break 35 and fought through injuries. It was hard to watch others win with marks she knew she could beat.

Hibbert was ready to take a leap forward last season before that chance was taken away.

"After we got her on track to believing the triple jump is her event, she started pushing herself," Greene said. "She's got that natural ability."

Hibbert is back and healthy just in time to complete the journey she started at the Firing Meet in 2018. It's all still out there. More gold and maybe some history.

Winning Thursday was the first step.

"I wouldn't say I'm satisfied but I'm happy," Hibbert said. "I didn't get the county record. But I'll take it."