HELENA — Three Helena Capital Bruins took home individual state titles from the Class AA state track and field meet in Missoula over the weekend. Capital senior Jameson Canney credits his podium-topping performance to a mindset switch this season.
Canney won his 300-meter hurdles title in 39.61 seconds. That’s an improvement of over two seconds from the first meet of the season to the last meet of the season.
“I felt like I was attacking the hurdle a lot more later in the season,” Canney told MTN Sports Friday at Vigilante Stadium. “... It was kind of a mental thing, almost, to just keep pushing. And it really helped with that time.”
Helping Canney push his time lower and lower en route to a state championship was first-year Capital hurdles coach Matt Larson. The new coach knows a thing or two about running the hurdles — once upon a time, Larson was Capital’s school record holder in the 110-meter hurdles.
“I knew that any conversation that we would have or kind of goal that I would set forth for him that he would really attack it 100%,” Larson said of Canney. “And he was just kind of one of those kids that never said ‘I won’t’ or ‘I can’t’ or any of that, really. It was kind of a partnership from day one.”
But beyond Canney’s state title, the senior said he hopes it’s his approach to hurdles that leaves a lasting mark on the Bruin program.
“Definitely, there’s some really good kids coming in,” Canney said. “And, yeah, I definitely think in these next coming years there’s definitely gonna be some kids. And I definitely think I kind of set the tone there for next year.”
