Rena Picou Trevathan
July 12, 2011
Jeanne R. Lefort
July 14, 2011
It’s not a traditional Olympic year, but that’s not stopping a local teenager from going for the gold this summer.
Terrebonne High School triple jumper Julian Maze clinched a spot to represent Louisiana in the 2011 AAU Junior Olympics later this month.
He earned his place in the field with a 43-foot-4-inch jump, which won him the Region 8 Triple Jump Championship for the third-straight year.
He is one of eight Louisianans who will jump for the top prize at the AAU Junior Olympics from July 30-Aug. 7 at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.
“It’s definitely an honor,” Maze said. “It’s very competitive out there, so you’ve got to come out and be one of the best to make it that far. That’s a big accomplishment for me.”
Maze competes over the summer for Members of Greater St. Mary Athletics, a locally sponsored AAU program.
But track and field hasn’t been embedded in his day-to-day life.
Where most sprouting stars start their respective sports at a young age, Maze only picked up track in the 8th grade.
That late start meant he had a lot of ground to make up.
“It took a lot of practice and training to do it, but I pulled it off,” Maze says with a grin.
Maze said because of that inexperience, he’s spending most of his summer trying to perfect his craft.
When he’s not practicing with his AAU team, he is often in the pits at Terrebonne working to tweak his form.
“I’m looking to make sure I hit the board for sure,” Maze explains. “I’m working on my second phase a little more and also my third phase. I’m trying to get myself out there more. I’m going to start jumping from some farther boards to increase my distance.”
Practice in the pit is good, but the local jumper also practices with his eyes.
Maze said that in order to learn the proper steps and techniques of the complicated event, he studies tapes of professional triple jumpers. That time in front of the TV is what he believes helped get him to where he is today.
“It definitely takes a lot of practice to get all the intricacies of the form and technique right,” Maze said. “From watching the pros, I was able to pick up on their form and everything and that’s really what got me to this point, seeing what they do and replicating it.”
From his 8th grade beginnings, Maze moved to Terrebonne High School where he immediately showed that his practice had paid off.
As a sophomore, Maze qualified for and placed fifth in the triple jump with a career-best jump of 46-foot-10 inches.
“I was the only sophomore to make it to the finals,” he said.
This coming year, he said he relishes the fact that he’s not going to be the youngest kid on the block.
“Finally,” he says with a laugh. “When I got there, everybody was like 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 and were like seniors and stuff, and I was the shortest one out there and the smallest one and also the youngest. I just had to compete.”
Seeing track and field success is nothing new for Maze, as his older sister Tamitris Bryant just completed a successful athletic career at Terrebonne.
“She made it to state four years straight,” Maze says, wowed by his sister’s accomplishments. “What she did was awesome. I really learned a lot about being consistent and that it takes a lot of practice and everything to accomplish your goals. It’s not just going out there at the meet. She taught me that you have to come out here and work.”
But for now, it’s time for the little brother to show those lessons he learned and showcase his track and field talents.
That starts at the Junior Olympics, where if he takes home the top prize, it’d be the highest honor of his career.
“If I win, I’m the national champion of triple jumping,” Maze said. “They’d put me on the podium and everything. That’d be amazing.”
Regardless of that outcome, Maze said his priorities all come back to Terrebonne, where he hopes to win some state championship flavored gold.
“I’m looking to win state, that’s my goal,” Maze said. “From there, I’m looking to break the school triple jump and also the state triple jump record. Those are lofty goals, I know, but that’s what I’m setting out to try and do.
“I’ve come this far in what people say is a short amount of time, so I don’t see why not? I’m going to give it my best shot. I want to keep the family legacy going.”
Terrebonne High School’s Julian Maze practices his specialty, the triple jump. After winning the Region 8 Triple Jump Championships, Maze qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics, which will begin July 30 in New Orleans. CASEY GISCLAIR
