St. Chris athlete leaps into track limelight

Barry Wright Danielle Quinn appears to be hitting her stride at a perfect time. The St. Christopher grad, on a track scholarship at Indiana University, had a personal best of 12.

Barry Wright

Danielle Quinn appears to be hitting her stride at a perfect time.

The St. Christopher grad, on a track scholarship at Indiana University, had a personal best of 12.45 metres in the women’s triple jump at the recent Indiana Relays at the Hoosiers home facility in Bloomington, Indiana.

“So far, it’s been a really good season,” said Quinn, who has jumped 12 metres or more five times and won three competitions this year, compared to a single leap of 12 metres or more a year ago.

Her personal best was the third-best women’s triple jump result in the history of IU track and field, and is the best triple jump result by any Canadian woman in 2016, according to the Athletics Canada website.

Quinn will take her new individual mark into the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio on Feb. 26-27, without wanting to put undue pressure on herself.

“I try not to think about where I’m ranked but just go out and do the best that I can,” she said.

Her goal is to reach 13 metres before the season is over.

“We’ll first go for 12.5 metres and then 12.75 metres and go from there,” said Quinn.

In her third year and majoring in Exercise Science, the 21-year-old said her speed and strength have increase since coming to the Hoosiers, and her mental approach has also flourished.

“I am more confident in myself and my abilities and can just relax and have fun,” she said.

“These past three years, I have definitely grown a lot.”

Quinn plans to return home again this summer to help with camps at the Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track and Field Club, while attempting to qualify for the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in Edmonton in July.