It was about four years ago when Elijah White's father, Rodney, mentioned to Centennial track and field coach Kevin McCoy that his son would eventually be coming out for the team.
And while it took until White's sophomore year to fulfill that promise, he more than lived up to the hype.
"He came to coach McCoy when I was in eighth grade during (my brother) Isaiah's basketball game and told him I'd run track eventually. He didn't know exactly when," White recalled. "(Tenth grade) coach McCoy came after me — I had him for biology — and coach McCoy was like, 'I've been talking to your dad, are you coming out?' And I was like I guess I have no choice… He kind of pushed me into it, but it eventually turned out to be something I liked."
White immediately introduced himself as a force in all three jumping events: long jump, high jump and triple jump and proved to be a natural. By the end of his first season, White earned two county titles — in the long and triple jump— to go along with a 3A East region championship in the triple jump and a 3A state crown in the same event.
"After seventh grade I was looking for sports to do. I couldn't play football anymore due to injury and I picked up basketball just because it was a family sport. I never really fell in love with it. I always felt like I was a step behind in the skills set, but coming into track it's pretty much my athleticism takes over — I don't know I just fell in love with it," White said. "It's been fun. I never really thought I would have ended up in track ... but it's been working out and I'm looking forward to and excited for what's coming up next."
As a junior this season, White was even more impressive on the way to touting county titles in all three jumping events. He followed that up by placing first in both the high and triple jump, while earning a second place finish in long jump at the 3A East region championships. Then he captured his second career state championship after jumping 6-feet, 2-inches in the high jump.
He narrowly missed a third career gold medal at states by just more than a quarter of an inch in the triple jump, while also setting a personal record in the long jump at the meet (22 feet, 6 inches) on the way to third place. It's all added up to him being named the Howard County Times/Columbia Flier boys outdoor track and field Athlete of the Year this spring.
"It's well deserved I think," said long-time Centennial coach Al Dodds said. "He is very coachable. He'll do as much work as he needs to or as we as coaches want him to in order to work on a specific aspect. He's not one of those kids who thinks he's got all the talent and doesn't need to work hard at it, not at all."
Dodds is one of the most experienced coaches in the county, coaching for over 43 years combined at Centennial High School. Dodds compared White to another prolific Eagles jumper — 1988 grad Kelly Davis, who still holds the 2A state record for the boys triple jump, while also claiming school records in the long and high jumps as well.
"(White is) a great kid. He's the most talented jumper that I've had since (Davis), (who) still ranks in the top-10 state meet performances with that 48-foot jump," Dodds said. "Eli reminds me a lot about him. He's just very athletic. He can probably do a number of things really well. The funny thing is the high jump, in which he placed first, that was really an event that he focused on the least. He put more of his efforts on the triple jump and the long jump, which is kind of ironic."
"I was ecstatic when he said, 'you remind me of Kelly Davis,'" White added. "When he told me all these numbers and told me I reminded me of him it gave me a confidence boost. I think that was like, OK, so it's more than just you look like you can do this. From somebody that has seen how it goes and is like, 'this is where I can see you going. These numbers, I can see you eventually hitting.' And I was like well this is where my goals are set. And I think this past season that's where I tried to put my goals where his marks are. I'm not quite there yet, but I have some time left."
White, who also stars on the Eagles basketball team and will suit up for Centennial football this coming fall as a wide-receiver, said the high jump came more naturally to him, therefore he put less time in that event and focused more on his technique in the triple and long jumps.
"I worked on vertical jumping a lot for basketball because it seemed like that was one of my strong suits and I tried to increase that," White explained. "I think that transferred to high jump pretty well, so I didn't feel like I needed to work on those areas as much as I did for triple and long.
"It was definitely a struggle trying to learn the technique… In triple jump, long jump and high jump if you don't do it a certain way it can hinder your jumps, so you have to learn how to do it certain ways and try to model it after Olympic jumpers or people who know how the form works and how to get the most out of your ability. I'm still working on that. That's still the hardest part I think. You can only get so far on your natural athletic ability and then you just got to pick up the technique."
After achieving gold in both the triple and high jumps, White said he'd like to complete the trifecta and clinch a state title in the long jump next year.
"I have one for triple and I have one for high jump, I'm trying to work on long jump, but that seems to be where most of the competition is," White explained. "It's a sprinters jump. You get your speed up and your power and I'm trying to work on that. Trying to get up to that 24-foot range, but I got a long way to go, so I'm just going to work in each area and see what happens."
However, on the top of White's goal-list is breaking Davis' state record in the triple jump and possibly his school records for the long and high jump as well. After jumping about 32-feet when he started, White has already extended his personal record to 46-feet, 3-inches this season, which came at the county championships.
"That's my number-one goal," White said. "I came really close in the long jump. In the high jump I'm a little far off. The triple jump I have a couple more feet to go.
"Triple jump is my passion. I did triple jump for the first time and was like, 'Wow this is fun. This is different, this is new to me.' Winning states that first year I was like, 'I think I can be really good at this.' And (Davis) has the 3A state championship record, so I feel like if I can get that, than I'll have the state record and the school record. I think that would be pretty cool, but that's just my goal right now to get that and if I don't, try to work to get it next year — just to get 48 feet is an accomplishment."
White was humbled when he heard Dodds comparison to Davis, who still stands as one of the best athletes to come out of Centennial. However, although White is entering just his third year in the sport he has the potential to surpass Davis and cement himself as also one of the best all around athlete the Eagles have had as well.
"He's definitely in the top-10 percent. No question about it," Dodds said. "As I've looked over all the sports since the beginning of Centennial's history, he's definitely in the top-10 percent of all the athletes, regardless of the sport… just as an athlete who has the capable to do a lot of different things. And of course as a jumper – in long jump and triple jump especially, he's the second best jumper to Kelly Davis that we've ever had."
"That means so much to me, because even Dodds himself was an amazing athlete," White added. "So for him to have seen to so many athletes do so many different sports… and for him to say that I am one of the most athletic people that he's seen or come to know, that means a lot to me."
White isn't the only outstanding athlete in his family. Not only was his father an excellent track and field star, but his older brother Isaiah – who just finished a redshirt season for UNC Asheville – led Centennial to its first state basketball championship last year. White's older sister Kayla Kelly starred on the Eagles girl's basketball team before she graduated in 2011 and helped the team earn a state semifinal berth in 2010, the first in over 13 years. But the best athletes might be White's younger brother Israel and younger sister Gabrielle. Israel has tried and excelled at a multitude of sports, while Gabrielle at just nine-years old has already set national records in track and field in her age group.
"We try to get into sports early. Actually my little brother, he's 14-years old I think he is the most athletic out of all of us. He's done wrestling, he's been out on the track, he plays basketball, he kind of does it all. He's played football for a little bit (and) he's played tennis, "White said. "Actually my little sister is above me. She broke the national record for the indoor 55-meter dash I think. She doesn't even know the significance and I'm here like, "you just set a national record and I'm just sitting here getting state titles." Not that that's not a big deal, but I think she's above me. She's a freak athlete. She does the long jump now and she jumps 14-feet, which is like high school contention."
Looking back, White remembers watching the Olympics with his father and uncle and admiring the track and field athletes. White admitted he never thought he would be competing in those same events, never the less striving to perhaps one day get there him self.
"We would watch the Olympics and I remember watching and being like, "wow that's really cool," but I would have never thought that I would some day be maybe doing it," White said. "It just looked so amazing when they're doing it and then now I'll look at a video of me doing it and I am like, 'wow, I am getting close to how they used to do it.' It looks pretty cool. I like how far I've come, but I don't think I'm there yet. Those Olympic jumpers they look graceful."
White has worked hard in becoming one of the best high school jumpers in the state of Maryland. He plans on jumping collegiately as well and possibly even beyond.
"I was actually talking to my summer track coach and he said he thinks I can go farther than just Junior Olympics. He didn't say specifically what that meant, but I think he was kind of going toward some big ideas and keeping that in my head, seeing someone that's been around the track – not as long as coach Dodds – but has seen some great talent and for him to say that meant a lot to me," White said. "And that's another driving force when I'm working out, like this goes beyond high school. This is something I could do in college and maybe after college. Just keeping that in my head, if I can keep working hard and treat it like a job, this is an obligation, but still try to keep it fun, I really don't know where I can end up. I think it would be pretty cool to say, 'oh my goodness, look it's Elijah White. He's from Maryland and he's jumping on T.V,"'or something like that. That would be pretty cool."
As of now, White is already working toward next season and fine-tuning his craft. With the Olympics in Rio set to kick off this August, it only heightens White's drive even further to possibly compete on the world's greatest stage in a few years time.
"I think this next season will be more of a sending off than anything. It's fun and I want to grow, but I can't see any more achievements. I won the state championships and that just felt so great. I think once you do it the first time or a second time – not that it takes away from it – I just want to get better more than getting another state championship, just see the growth. To continue growing I think means more than to get a medal," he said. "Trying to model after them can definitely help me and looking at their backstories also. Looking where they've come from about where they were at my age and how much work they've put in. How far they've come from a certain point that also motivates me, because maybe I see a guy doing the triple jump in the Olympics and he was around the same mark I was. I'm like, 'woah this guy put in a lot of work. I know he did and he got this far. So what if I put in this much work or even more work and see where that gets me?' And if I don't – I just want to reach my potential. I really don't know where I'll end up, but my goal is to make sure I do end up putting in 100 percent and getting as much out of this as I can."
Also named to the all-county team are:
Ademola Abdulkadir, Howard
Events: long and triple jump
Postseason highlights: Placed second in the triple jump at the county championships. Won the 4A North region championship in the triple jump with a distance of 43 and 9.59 inches, while also winning the 4A state championship in the same event with a distance of 45 and 11.75 inches.
Greg Bisant, Mt. Hebron
Events: 800- and 1,600-meter races and 4x800-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Helped the Vikings to a third place finish at the Howard County championship in the 4x800-meter relay, while also crossing fourth and sixth in the 800- and 1,600-meters, respectively. Won a 3A East region title in the 800 and as part of the 4x800, while also placing fourth in the 1,600. At the 3A state championships, Bisant aided Mt. Hebron to a fifth-place finish in the 4x800 relay and placed third in the 800.
Kevin Fitzgerald, River Hill
Events: 800- and 1,600-meter races and 4x400- and 4x800-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Placed second in the 1,600-meter race at the Howard County championships, while also earning sixth place in the 800-meters and aiding the Hawks to a fourth-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay. At the 3A East region championships, Fitzgerald won the 1,600, placed second in the 800 and played a role in a second and seventh-place finish in the 4x800 and 4x400 relays, respectively. Fitzgerald ended his season by earning fourth in the 1,600 and sixth in the 800, while also being a part of River Hill's fourth-place 4x800-meter relay team at the 3A state meet.
Dae'trell Gordon, Atholton
Events: shot put and discus
Postseason highlights: Won a Howard County championship and 3A East region title in shot put, while finishing fifth in the same event at the 3A state championships.
Erik Jenks, Howard
Events: 400- and 800-meter races and 4x400- and 4x800-meter relays
Postseason highlights: Placed first in the 800-meter race at the Howard County championships, while also finishing fourth in the 400-meters and helping the Lions to a second and fourth place finish in the 4x800- and 4x400-meter relays, respectively. Won a 4A North region title in the 800, while also aiding in fifth- and second-place finishes in the 4x400- and 4x800 relays. Placed seventh in the 800 at the 4A state championships, while also helping Howard to a second-place finish in the 4x800.
T.J. Lyles, Wilde Lake
Events: 110- and 300-meter hurdles, long and triple jump and 4x100-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Won the 110-meter hurdles at the Howard County championships, while also placing ninth in the triple jump and seventh in the 300-meter hurdles. Placed first in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the 3A East region championships, while also finishing third and ninth in the long and triple jump, respectively. At the 3A state championships, Lyles placed fourth in the 110 hurdles, ninth in the 300 hurdles, seventh in the triple jump, 11th in the long jump and helped the Wildecats' 4x100-meter relay team to eighth place.
Trent Rose, River Hill
Events: 1,600- and 3,200-meter races
Postseason highlights: Placed first in the 3,200-meters at the Howard County championships. Won a 3A East region title in the 3,200, while placing second in the 1,600. Placed third in the 3,200 at the 3A state championships.
Christian Saulsbury, Wilde Lake
Events: 100-, 200-meter dashes and 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays
Postseason highlights: Saulsbury placed third and seventh in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, respectively, at the county championship meet. Won a 3A East region championship in the 200 and earned second in the 100, while also helping the Wildecats to a third-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Finished with third in the 100 and 200 at the 3A state championships.
Kelvyn Sosoo, Reservoir
Events: 100- and 200-meter dashes, long and triple jump and 4x100-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Won the 200-meter dash at the Howard County championships, while also placing second in the 100 and helping the Gators to a second-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. At the 3A East region championships, Sosoo walked away with victories in the 100 and 4x100 relay, while also finishing fourth in the 200. Finished fourth in the 100-meters and fifth in the 200-meter dash at the 3A state championships.
Andre Turay, Oakland Mills
Events: 110- and 300-meter hurdles and 4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays
Postseason highlights: Placed second and fourth, respectively, in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the Howard County championships, while also playing a part in the Scorpions fifth-place 4x200-meter relay team. Finished second in the 2A West region championships in the 110 and 300 hurdles, while also earning seventh- and fifth-place finishes in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, respectively. Finished third in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles at the 2A state championships.
Cameron Vereen, Oakland Mills
Events: 100- and 200-meter dashes, 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays
Postseason highlights: Won the 100-meter dash at the Howard County championships, while also placing second in the 200. Won a 2A West region title in the 100, while also placing third in the 200. Finished second in the 100 at the 2A state championships.
James Wassell, Atholton
Events: discus, pole vault and 4x400-meter relay
Postseason highlights: Wassell was the Howard County champion in pole vault, while also placing seventh in discus at the meet. Won a 3A East region title in pole vault, while also placing sixth in discus and aiding in a ninth place finish in the 4x400-meter relay. At the 3A championships, Wassell finished third in pole vault.
Kelsey White, Oakland Mills
Events: 400- and 800-meters, 4x400- and 4x800-meter relays
Postseason highlights: Won the 400-meter run at the Howard County Championships, while also helping the Scorpions to victory in the 4x800-meter relay. He also placed third in the 800 at counties, while aiding a fifth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay. White won a 2A West region championship in the 800, while placing fifth in the 400. Finished second in the 800 at the 2A state championships.