North Brunswick jumpers headed to New Balance Nationals

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The cold temperatures outside haven’t stopped two North Brunswick High School long jumpers from preparing for the New Balance Indoor National meet in New York City this weekend.

Jieem Bullock and Courtney Lines are doing their best to put North Brunswick high school Track & Field on the map. After qualifying at the North Carolina state meet, Bullock and Lines will now head to NYC to compete for a national title. Their long jumping skills have come from playing other sports growing up.

“I started off as a dancer for 14 years, so I was really good with jumping,” Lines, a senior, said. “When I came out here, I was watching long jump and thought that might be something that I could be good at.”

This weekend at the Armory track in New York City they will compete alongside 3,500 of the best high school athletes in America. They know it’s always tough to get on the podium at any meet, but it’s also a great learning experience.

“I think it’s kind of an intimidation, but I use intimidation as motivation,” Bullock said. “So I just practice harder so I can get a further jump.”

In sports it seems like there are always nerves no matter the level of competition. Bullock and Lines know they will be there on Saturday, so they do whatever they can before a competition to take it off of their mind.

“I sing ‘Staying Alive’ in my head while I am sitting there watching, so I don’t get in my own head about things,” Lines said.

Lines and Bullock will compete in the long jump Saturday morning with a chance to bring home a gold medal to the Cape Fear.