Waccamaw wunderkind leads by example, and now has the gold to prove it

A small, crumpled slip of paper awaited Jackson Junkins the day of every track meet, handed to him by Waccamaw track coach Bill Peterman.

On each sheet was a several goals, each of which were meant to challenge the Waccamaw sophomore, but also were attainable.

Junkins vividly recalls what was scribed on each of them, particularly the last two he received during the 2016 track and field season.

“At Lower State, (Peterman) set a goal for me to qualify in four events for the state meet,” he said. “At the state meet he upped it on me, wanting me to win the four events I qualified for.”

Junkins wasn’t able to earn gold in the four events he competed in at the Class AA state meet. But coming home with a split can’t be all that bad, can it?

The Warriors’ track standout won a pair of state titles, earning top honors in the 200- and 400-meter races. He also claimed third place in the pole vault, and was a member of the Waccamaw 4x400-meter relay team that finished second at the state meet. keying the track team to an overall second place finish in Class AA.

Such a solid effort earned Junkins national appeal, the local product accepting an invitation to participate in the New Balance High School National meet. However, his year-long excellence on the track played a key role in the sophomore being named The Sun News’ Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

“It’s such a blessing,” Junkins said. “To have such great coaches and teammates that help me to push harder and better each day, I couldn’t ask for better.”

According to Peterman, few — if any — work harder than Junkins. Nothing backs up the notion more than the Waccamaw track star’s participation in cross country this past fall.

“This past year, he ran cross country for the first time ... just to stay in shape,” Peterman said. “Once that was over with, he stayed fit on his own ... the results kind of speak for itself.”

Cross country particularly paid dividends in the two events in which Junkins claimed gold.

“Cross country helped with my adrenaline, along with my speed in the 200 and 400,” he said. “But it also helped make things easier for me in other events as well. While in cross country you don’t get much rest, it helped with endurance and I felt less fatigued between events.”

More importantly, though, Junkins’ influence is already rubbing off on teammates despite his sophomore status.

“It’s honestly a hard thing to think of or do,” he said. “But the best thing I can do is set good examples, because I want (teammates) to be as good as they can be.

“I credit a lot of my work ethic and confidence to those like Amelia Jones and Jeremy Green; I watched them work hard and do well, so I kind of patterned everything after them. I saw how they led, and hopefully I can do the same.”

Peterman believes his star pupil is well on his way, largely because “no one loves the team more than (Junkins).”

“He’s young, but leads by example,” Peterman said. “His work ethic is so contagious. ... He loves the team first, and they have a real tight bond.

“Regularly, they’re on group chats together, talking together. Stuff like that really excites him, and the fact they portray it in practice and are able to take it out to meets is part of why we have been successful.”

Admittedly, Junkins — who fell a mere tenth of a second from rewriting the Palmetto’s Finest history book in the 200 meters — feels he is just now hit the tip of his potential.

“I feel I have a little more in me, I still have a lot of room to improve,” he said.

But for the next few weeks, Junkins will bask on a job well done, giving his body a rest before working back in to prime shape for cross country this fall.

If they were wise, competitors throughout the state would do their darnedest to put that stretch to good use.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Waccamaw wunderkind leads by example, and now has the gold to prove it."