ASH GROVE, MO - People have always wanted to fly. But Ash Grove high jumper Karter Moran gets a lot closer than most of us ever will.
"This is my favorite thing," said Moran. "I love jumping."
But Moran hasn't always wanted to be a high jumper.
"My favorite sport, I loved basketball. I loved jumping, who can touch net. That was always fun. I came in junior high and started track and introduced me to high jump. That was my gift."
The senior has jumped as high as 6 feet 9 inches. Not bad for a kid who's self taught.
"I haven't had a high jump coach. You just jump up there with one foot and just flop over the bar."
"I stay away from him because he was natural ability and I don't want to screw him up," said Ash Grove coach Dennis Whitehead. "We just let him go high jump by himself."
So just how does someone learn to to jump like that?
"Everytime I jump I try to think about how I do it and my mind just goes free and it's just me floating through the air just going over the bar. That's my gift I guess."
And with each successful jump the goals get set a little higher.
"I'm hoping to go to the Olympics. I really want to go out there and compete."
"I think if he gets in the weight room and works hard and has some good one on one coaching, there's no telling how high he could go."
Ash Grove senior Karter Moran is this week's Arby's High School athlete of the week.
"This is my favorite thing," said Moran. "I love jumping."
But Moran hasn't always wanted to be a high jumper.
"My favorite sport, I loved basketball. I loved jumping, who can touch net. That was always fun. I came in junior high and started track and introduced me to high jump. That was my gift."
The senior has jumped as high as 6 feet 9 inches. Not bad for a kid who's self taught.
"I haven't had a high jump coach. You just jump up there with one foot and just flop over the bar."
"I stay away from him because he was natural ability and I don't want to screw him up," said Ash Grove coach Dennis Whitehead. "We just let him go high jump by himself."
So just how does someone learn to to jump like that?
"Everytime I jump I try to think about how I do it and my mind just goes free and it's just me floating through the air just going over the bar. That's my gift I guess."
And with each successful jump the goals get set a little higher.
"I'm hoping to go to the Olympics. I really want to go out there and compete."
"I think if he gets in the weight room and works hard and has some good one on one coaching, there's no telling how high he could go."
Ash Grove senior Karter Moran is this week's Arby's High School athlete of the week.
