What Smyer’s Ashtyn Burriss told herself before gold-winning final jump

Bronze is great, but it doesn’t shine as well as gold.

Ashtyn Burriss wants to make sure she leaves high school with the latter. To do this, she must summon the best player in history at all costs.

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The Smyer senior made one small adjustment before her final attempt, jumping 39 feet, 1 inch to jump from third to first in the Class 2A girls triple jump at Friday’s UIL state track and field meet. Lyndon Kildare’s former leader Jamiah Birmingham ended the race with a scratch and secured Burris’ spot on the podium.

It was Burris who fouled out on her penultimate attempt to create a life-or-death situation.

“I immediately started to get scared because I wanted to win so bad,” Burris said. “I’m usually pretty tired by the time I get to the last jump. I’m like, I don’t know what to do, but I just want to give it my all on that last jump.”

Burris trailed Birmingham and Chilton’s Zanovia Coleman starting in the second round. Everyone reached 39 feet on their first try, so Burris knew the standard to reach her long-term goal. She was especially motivated after finishing third last year.

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When Burris’ last chance came, she adjusted her starting position at the request of her coach. She shortened the course and set a personal best.

“I just wanted to take that last jump without regrets,” Burris said. “I just wish I had been working hard for four years to do this. I was happy with third place last year, but I wanted to win so bad.”

The race Burris won was much more competitive than in 2025. Birmingham won 37-7.5/4, with Burris finishing third at 36-8. The Smyr jumper improved her individual score by a foot during her senior season.

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Burris said her training was driven by a desire for national gold. A month after leaving Austin, she started working toward that goal. She credits her coaches and her father for being a treasured fitness partner throughout the process.

This offseason may look similar. Burris is about to join Lubbock Christian University’s track and field program, so she knows there’s still work to be done.

“I’m very excited, but I also know college is a lot different than high school,” Burris said. “I’m going to be surrounded by the best and I just want to prove to the coaches and my new teammates and continue to earn the scholarship I got. My biggest fear every year is to be worse than I am, so I train really hard all summer long.

“I just want them to see that I do deserve to be there and prove to them that I do deserve it.”

This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal: Smyr’s Ashtyn Burriss wins triple jump gold at state track and field meet