Ashton Torns takes second at indoor national meet
Ashton Torns continues to impress track-and-field insiders and observers, and few are surprised by what they see.
The son of former Marble Falls High School cross country and track and field coach Anthony Torns, Ashton recently earned a silver medal at the 2022 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet at The Armory New Balance Track and Field Center in New York with a leap of 24 feet and 3.5 inches on March 13.
That s was the first time Ashton Torns had competed at the meet.
“It was a very nice experience being in New York in that stadium,” he said. “There are four floors and everything there is dedicated to track.”
Needless to say, Torns felt right at home inside that facility with the other athletes, coaches and onlookers who all love the sport like he does. He was able to see other athletes compete in their respective events and met others his age, especially the jumpers. Torns called that a highlight, too.
“I was able to talk to the guys,” he said. “When you’re conversing with people at a high level, it makes you not as nervous. I’ve been in situations where everything feels like it’s on the line.”
Like his father, the younger Torns, who is a junior at Austin Westlake, competes in track and field only with the intention of joining a university squad as a sprinter and jumper.
“I want to go to the next level,” he said. “I’m in talking stages. At New Balance Indoor, a couple of coaches came up to me. There’s potential of bringing me in for a visit. I also emailed a couple of colleges.”
Before he could compete at the New Balance meet, officials required that long jumpers hit a standard of 22-9. Torns did at the Lake Travis meet in mid February with a mark of 23-4.
He plans to compete at the prestigious 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The boys high school 100 meters is at 1:30 p.m. and the long jump is at 7:30 p.m., both on Friday, March 25. The triple jump is at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 26. That meet will draw the state’s top athletes and will reveal more to Torns.
