Missoula’s Ashley McElmurry leaps through adversities to make first jump to NCAA nationals (2024)

MISSOULA— Ashley McElmurry dreamed of making the NCAA track and field national championships when she left Missoula Sentinel for Nebraska in 2019.

She didn't envision a worldwide pandemic impacting her plans. Or a coaching change. Or ankle issues. Or being stuck on the same personal record for nearly two years.

Yet, she has overcome every piece of adversity placed in her path. She's now put everything together to rise to the occasion and perform her best when her best has been needed.

"It's felt really cool," she said. "There's a lot of energy. The track is obviously amazing. It's super beautiful. It's really cool to come to a place, obviously it's called Track Town USA, which is really cool for a town to be known a lot for track. That's a fun experience for being someone who obviously loves track. It's super cool. It's a big honor to get to be here and compete."

McElmurry's trip to nationals is the culmination of a college journey that began after she finished a standout high school career at Sentinel. She was a three-time state champion, five-time runner-up and three-time bronze medalist in the jumps, hurdles and relays.

It's also the climax of a two-year plan that throws coach Vincent Johnson put together for McElmurry when he took over prior to the 2023 season. Not only was McElmurry adapting to a new coach, but she had been dealing with ankle issues and other nagging injuries that kept her out of some meets last year.

"He had me on a two-year track of he wanted me to do well last year but he kind of had a plan of your year is going to be next year," she said. "That was something that I didn't quite understand at the time.

"It was sobering learning to trust somebody else besides the coach I already had, which was kind of difficult for me just being an athlete and wanting to be in control of everything that's happening to make sure you are successful. Learning to let some of that control go was a big lesson. It was difficult. But once I was able to do that, it was a lot easier on me."

Johnson's approach to coaching was different than what McElmurry had experienced during breakout seasons under her previous event coach. She had spent the first three college seasons having her head coach, Gary Pepin, also be her jumps coach before he retired following the 2022 season.

Whereas Pepin prioritized watching film, Johnson preached athletes being in tune with every bodily motion while they're competing, McElmurry said. It was a new perspective after the prior one helped her place third and then second in the triple jump at the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten indoor championships.

"Having both those two coaches was the best combination for me," she said. "They both offered so many unique perspectives. Without the other, I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have thus far. They both taught me a bunch of unique things.

"Also, being able to battle through, a little bit of resilience, and kind of get thrown for a loop and be able bounce back, I think that was really big for me, not only in sports but just a really good life lesson in general because it won't be the first time that something like that happens. So I think it was a really good learning moment for me as a person."

McElmurry had to be patient and keep faith that the new approach would pay dividends for her. She had set a personal record in May 2022 but was stuck on 42 feet, 6.25 inches until April 2024, when she obliterated that mark with a 43-9.

She broke it again with a 43-10.5 at the Big Ten outdoor championships in May to place second and earn her first outdoor medal. She surpassed it again with a 44-8.75 at the NCAA West first round to place ninth and qualify for nationals in Eugene.

"One thing that's been really big for me this year is my faith," she said. "I think this year has really shown me that I can do all things through Christ and just try not to put myself in a box and what God can do in my life and use me for athletically and not put any limits on that. I've been trying to compete with that in mind always.

"Also, the aspect of it is my last season, to go out and enjoy it and be grateful for the experience and be thankful that I get to compete and thankful that I'm healthy and a lot of other people would love to be feeling that way right now. Just really have gratitude for that and go compete."

McElmurry admittedly feels less stress than she did when she was trying to earn one of 12 national-qualifying spots at regionals two weeks ago after coming up short in the past. She has been in Oregon since Monday doing a combination of practices, lifting and pool workouts.

She has already secured All-America status for the first time as one of 24 national qualifiers in her event. She can be a first-teamer by placing in the top eight, second-teamer by finishing ninth through 16th or honorable mention if she's 17th through 24th.

"It was a lot of relief being able to qualify, and being able to be excited about that accomplishment was really exciting," she said. "As (regionals) was winding down and looking like I was going to be able to go (to nationals), I was just holding my breath. I was just waiting to get excited to make sure I was really in before I got really pumped."

McElmurry won't be the only triple jumper from Nebraska competing at nationals. She's joined by teammate Rhianna Phipps, who is making her fifth trip to the national championships.

Having a top-tier teammate is similar to McElmurry's time at Sentinel. She and Lauren Heggen, who went on to compete for the Pac-12 Washington Huskies, dueled it out in the jumps for years with the Spartans.

"Being surrounded by people that are better than you and being surrounded by people that are motivated like you, you can't help but get better and you can't help but push each other," she said. "That's a really beautiful thing that I've been fortunate to have at Nebraska is teammates that push me and encourage me to be better."

The nationals championships won't represent the end of McElmurry's time in track and field. She'll be returning to Eugene, Oregon, in two weeks to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the triple jump.

After that, McElmurry, who turned 23 last month, plans to continue college at Montana State in its accelerated nursing program. Her college eligibility will be up after five years on Saturday, and she's made sure her final year was a memorable one.

"Going into this season, it was totally different because it's all-cards-out-on-the-table kind of season knowing you have one more shot, give it all you got," she said. "It's completely different than knowing I have four more years left.

"You have one year and let's see what happens, which is also really good. It makes it easier to stay locked in and put those extra hours in and stay really focused on the goal at hand."