DATE: Friday, May 23, 1997                  TAG: 9705230921

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   76 lines

LONG JUMPER HOPES TO GO THE DISTANCE JESSIE GRANT OF INDIAN RIVER DEFENDS HIS EASTERN REGION TITLE TODAY.

Like all long jumpers, Indian River's Jessie Grant has a pre-launch ritual. He gently rocks back and forth while raising his arms north to south.

``It's something to get you pumped up,'' said the senior, who customarily wears a Superman T-shirt between events.

What distinguishes Grant from his competitors, however, are the results: The frequent first-place finishes, the occasional records and the full scholarship offer from the University of South Carolina.

Grant began high school at Deep Creek as an athlete looking for a niche and will graduate from Indian River as one of the state's premier long jumpers.

The defending state champion continues his bid for a second title as he looks to repeat his Eastern Region championship today at Hampton's Darling Stadium. The first part of his quest began with a jump of 23-2 1/2 to win the Southeastern District meet last week.

``I had more spring off the board and my speed was good,'' said the 6-foot, 180-pound Grant, who struggled in a couple of earlier meets.

Yet, struggles and defeats have been rare occurrences for Grant in the past two seasons.

After going undefeated in seven regular-season district meets last year, Grant set the district championship record with a leap of 23-3 1/2.

A week later at the regional meet, he jumped what is still a personal best, 24-9, to set another record.

In a nonrecord-setting performance, he went 24-4 to win the state title.

``A lot of it is natural talent,'' Indian River coach Freddie Spellman said. ``You have to have speed and you have to have jumping ability and with Jessie, he has both of those.''

In addition to a passion for honing his skills.

``My freshman year, I was running against these older guys and was getting beat pretty bad,'' Grant said. ``A lot of guys can run. I decided to get into something I could excel in. Not too many people get in the long jump.''

But even as a ninth-grader, Grant had advantages his foes lacked: experience and mentoring.

Grant had been competing in the long jump since the sixth grade, during which he once registered a jump of 14-5.

``It was during field day and I got first place,'' he said, flashing a smile. ``Ever since then, I've liked the long jump.''

Since entering high school, he has competed for Junior Olympic teams and the Atlantic Coast Track Club. Both have both exposed him to national competition.

And Grant has an uncle, Mike Sawyer, who specialized in the triple jump at Oscar Smith and Norfolk State and has spent much time helping Grant.

Sawyer, whose son Mike Jr. also competes for Indian River, works with Grant on his relaxation techniques and mental preparation for each meet.

``He's the top gun in the area but he never gets into that `I'm the man stuff,' '' Sawyer said.

Not Grant. Instead, he's either busy being timed by his dad, Jessie Sr., who attends each meet with a stopwatch, or critiquing others - particularly his girlfriend, Alicia Price, who runs sprints for Indian River.

``She has a tendency to pop straight out of the blocks so I tell her to stay low for 30 meters,'' Grant said.

And while the long jump is his bread-and-butter event, Grant knows a thing or two about running.

``He's always liked to run. Since the time he was 2 years old, we could never catch up with him,'' said Jessie's mom, Gina. ``Since he was 2, he ran everywhere.''

More than 15 years later, running combined with jumping has Grant on his way to South Carolina.

``They have a great coaching staff and they're in the SEC,'' Grant said. ``I was very comfortable with the coaches. They've worked with a lot of Olympic athletes and that's what level I want to be at.''

And maybe in 2000 or 2004, he'll be on the runway of the Summer Olympics doing the same routines, but with a lot more on the line. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MICHAEL KESTNER/The Virginian-Pilot

Indian River senior Jessie Grant jumped what is still a personal-

and meet-best 24-9 at last year's Eastern Region championship.

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