Faith Academy’s Solomon is headed to Junior Olympics

CAPTION: Sydney Solomon, who will be a freshman at Faith Academy of Marble Falls (back row, left), will compete in the pentathlon of the Junior Olympics June 29-July 1 in Des Moines, Iowa, for the North Shore Stars Track Club coached by Cedric Griffin. Joining her at the Junior Olympics is Griffin’s daughter, Linen (front row), who runs the 800 meters. Courtesy photo

Faith Academy of Marble Falls student Sydney Solomon won the pentathlon of the South Texas District Qualifier of the Amateur Athletic Union June 22 in Seguin.

She is headed to the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa June 29-July 1.

At Seguin, Solomon finished the 100-meter hurdles in 17.61 seconds, and the 800 meters in 2:36. She cleared 4 feet and 8 inches in the high jump, leapt 14-6 in the long jump, and had a heave of 26-6 in the shot put.

Solomon competes on the North Shore Stars Track Club, which is coached by Faith Academy assistant coach Cedric Griffin. This is the third year she has been on his squad.

“She’s always training hard for multiple events,” he said. “She has individual races such as the high jump, triple jump, the 110 (meter) and 300 (meter) hurdles.”

Solomon’s work ethic is why she is ideal for the pentathlon, her coach said.

“She’s gritty,” he said. “The work load is hard on her. She keeps plowing through it. You like kids like her. The events she loves the most are the triple jump and hurdles. Her strength are the high jump and hurdles — that’s what she’s great at.”

Being a triple jumper and hurdler speaks volumes about an athlete, Griffin said.

“You have to be detail oriented, you have to be tedious about your routine, it takes focus,” he said. “If you mess up, you have to let it go. It’s about the small details.”

Track isn’t the only sport Solomon plays. She also is a soccer player and uses track as a way of helping her endurance for the pitch. Griffin, who was a starting corner back on the 2005 Texas Longhorns national championship football team, believes track propels athletes to be at their best for every sport they’re competing.

“She has a competitive nature and wants to be good at everything,” he said. “Track is hitting the abilities. It’s just you and no teammates between the white lines. It can tell if you haven’t been working out. Track is transparent. It’ll show itself. You have to learn to be disciplined and make sacrifices. That’s what makes track wonderful. It takes a leader to be disciplined. You’re able to bring that leadership into other sports. You can have people and show people how to be disciplined and take care of themselves.”

Griffin believes Solomon has the endurance, focus and ability to become a heptathlete, which means competing in seven events in a competition that crowns the “world’s greatest female athlete” during the Olympics.

“She’s a multiathlete,” Griffin said. “I’ve had other athletes doing multievents. She can handle it.”

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