Amherst’s Hubbard excels both on track, in field

Amherst senior LaCear Hubbard is as fast on the track as she is athletic in the field events.

The News & Advance girls indoor track and field athlete of the year could compete in all but the mile and two-mile, but she excels in the hurdles and the jumps.

“I feel like I’m stronger in the field events, (but) my track events can be just as good,” said Hubbard, who has taken stabs at the pole vault as well as the shot put and discus. “I’m always up for something new. I’m always up for a challenge.”

This past winter, she ranked first in the area in the 55-meter hurdles, winning the Seminole District championships at Heritage in a school record time of 8.93 seconds. She also ran the second leg on the Lancers’ 800 relay team that finished tied for sixth at the Group AA state meet at Liberty University.

But she was most comfortable in the field events, ranking first in the long jump (17-feet, 7¼-inches), second to teammate Candace Davis in the triple jump (36-2½) and tied for second in the high jump (5-2).

“She’s an exceptional athlete and an extremely hard worker,” Amherst coach Lance Carter said. “Personality-wise, she’s just fantastic. You couldn’t ask for a better student athlete. This year, she did an exceptional job of taking over as a leader and a point winner.”

While she has been motivated by Davis and Shauna Kyle, among her peers, Hubbard gets most of her inspiration from Carter and jumping coach Derrick Brown.

“He teaches me a lot of technique, which I hate, but when you see the results, it works,” Hubbard said.

She had equally extraordinary performances in both the Seminole District and Region III championships, leading the Lancers to the Region III team title while earning athlete of the year honors.

At the Seminole meet, she finished first in the 55 hurdles, beating the Pioneers’ Latavia Laprade and Kelsey Roark, as well as winning the long jump, placing second in the triple jump and third in the high jump.

At the Region III meet, also at Heritage, she won the long jump, placed second in the triple jump, third in the high jump and fifth in the 55 hurdles after being bumped early in the race.

She was not at 100 percent for the Group AA state meet after straining a hamstring in practice, an injury that she is just now recovering from.

“My coaches have not been letting me run yet because of my leg,” she said, “but I’m slowly getting back in there.”

She hopes to be back in peak form by the time the postseason rolls around, to qualify for the outdoor state meet in as many events as possible before competing at Lynchburg College, where she plans to study to become a student counselor, perhaps at Amherst.

“That way, I can help coach cheerleading or track and field,” said Hubbard, who cheered the football team to the state championship game the past three falls. “Those are the two sports I really love.”