She went to the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet. She came back with All-American honors.

Smiths Station senior Alonie Sutton made sure her trip to New York for the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet was nothing short of worthwhile.

Sutton’s first excursion in the national indoor meet was a successful one, as she competed in the long jump and triple jump against the country’s top athletes. She particularly excelled in the long jump, taking sixth place to earn All-American honors.

Thanks to her performance on a national stage, Sutton is the Ledger-Enquirer’s Female Athlete of the Week.

Sutton surprised even herself with how well her efforts in the long jump turned out. She said she studied her opponents’ scores prior to the competition and quickly realized their distances topped what she had done in the past.

Ever the competitor, Sutton shook off the fear of being overmatched and just told herself to do her best. That attitude helped Sutton post a personal record of 19 feet, 2 ½ inches, earning her a sixth-place finish and the last of the event’s All-American honors.

“I really wasn’t even expecting to make it to the finals,” Sutton said. “Becoming an All-American in that was amazing. When you don’t expect something, I think it’s better.”

Sutton was disappointed in her triple jump showing, which was still good enough for seventh place. Sutton said it was important to use that performance as a learning experience, adding she’s determined to bounce back from falling short of her own expectations.

That type of determination is something Smiths Station girls track coach Cassidy Stecenko has seen time and time again from her senior.

“Alonie is a competitor. Every time she steps out there to jump, it’s in her mind she’s going to win or do everything possible to win,” Stecenko said. “She’s a true athlete. She works hard at what she does. I think that makes her a special athlete because she can compete at that level and she works hard to get there.”

Sutton can remember when she first started track and never even considered jumping. Entering her final spring as a Panther, Sutton has the school records for the outdoor triple jump as well as the indoor long jump and triple jump.

Even with those achievements, Sutton is working for even more.

The Tennessee signee has set the bar high for her senior season and hopes to hit 44 feet in the triple jump. It’s a lofty goal, but considering she already holds the state record in the outdoor triple jump, very little is impossible for Sutton.

“Every meet, I’m not just focusing on jumping the 44,” Sutton said. “I’m focused on doing things that will help me be a better jumper all around. If that brings about a 44, then good.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 3:40 PM with the headline "She went to the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet. She came back with All-American honors.."