Madeleine Coles
Staff Writer
ISU student Deante Gains is making major waves in the collegiate track and field world. Gains recently placed first in men’s indoor triple jump for the second year in a row at the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championship with a personal best mark of 14.96 meters, fourth best in ISU history.
Gains also placed sixth in high jump and fifth in long jump. However, Gains said that he wasn’t always good at jumping.
“I was running from fifth grade. But I didn’t start jumping until I was a freshman in high school,” Gains said. “I was just fast. We’d always have races on the fields, and it was just fun. A coach at my high school thought I should go out for track. I was not a jumper at all; I was terrible at first.”
Gains said that beginning in his sophomore year of high school, he began to enjoy jumping, but according to him he still wasn’t very good at it. “I just did it for fun, and then junior year is when I actually progressed a lot,” Gains said.
According to Gains, triple jump was never his best event.
“It’s weird that it is now because in high school I was never very good at it. So it’s just weird,” Gains said.
But being a great jumper doesn’t come without a price. Gains said that in preparing for the outdoor season, his primary goal is to just stay healthy.
“My legs hurt constantly. Every day. So I just try to stay healthy and try not to make my injuries worse right now.”
Gains said that it has been a struggle, but it’s been worth it.
“It’s kind of a mental thing where you just have to push through it. It’s been a long journey, but I just have a passion for it. I think me enjoying it so much and getting better year by year is what really pushes me and makes me want to go forward with it.”
In addition to watching himself improve, Gains said that being a member of track and field has heavily shaped his social experience at ISU.
“I really like the athletic program and how the athletes stick together. But we also get to interact with all the other kids around here, so it’s pretty nice,” Gains said.
Gains’ track and field career is not over. While this is his last indoor season, he has two more outdoor seasons at ISU. He hopes to graduate next spring and is double majoring in sociology with a certificate in criminal justice and applied economics.
“I would like to go into the special forces with FBI, CIA, DEA or something like that,” Gains said of his life after graduation.
“I’ve always wanted to be a police officer. Since I was first asked what I want to be when I grow up, I said police officer. And I’ve stuck with that since.”
With his most recent wins in hand, Gains is excited to continue into the outdoor season and the rest of his track career at ISU.
