Orem track rallies for strong region performance after coach suffers minor stroke
Orem head track coach Andy Jacobs, far left, poses for a photo with the Tiger boys track team after it won the 2018 Region 10 championship at Orem on May 10, 2018.
Orem head track coach Andy Jacobs, center with sunglasses, celebrates winning the 2016 4A state title at BYU on May 21, 2016.
Orem senior Kam Radebaugh (center) wins the 100-meter dash over Uintah's Payton Pace (far right), Tiger teammates Trevor Rockey (second from right) and Puka Nacua (second from left) and Lehi's Ian Dunford (far left) during the Region 10 track meet at Orem on May 10, 2018.
As the 2018 Region 10 track meet came to a close, the Orem boys track team finalized its first-place finish.
Normally it would be no surprise to see Tiger head track coach Andy Jacobs there to celebrate with his squad — but after Wednesday’s drama, his presence was something special.
Early on in the two-day event, something wasn’t right with Jacobs.
“It was really scary,” Orem junior Mya Jacobs, Andy’s daughter and a member of the Tiger track team, said Thursday. “We were just talking and laughing, then he went to whisper something in my ear. He went down on one knee and when he looked up, I could see his face was drooping and he wasn’t able to talk.”
Mya quickly got her mom, Camie Jacobs, who also coaches the Tigers.
“By the time she got there, he was back to normal,” Mya said. “He didn’t even want to go to the hospital.”
But Camie insisted and she took Andy to the hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a mild stroke.
“He’s doing OK,” Orem assistant coach Adam Leifson said Thursday. “The doctor said he had no permanent damage. He was healthy enough to go home but they wanted to keep him to run some tests and get them done more quickly.”
Immediately after Andy went down on Wednesday, however, the Tiger athletes had to continue the meet without knowing exactly what his status was.
“I was trying not to think about it,” said Orem freshman Cameron Jacobs, Andy and Camie’s son. “I was trying to focus on my race. I went out and set a PR (personal record) in the 300-meter hurdles.”
Leifson said the Tigers had a great showing on Wednesday as they used Andy’s absence as motivation.
“It was stressful when it happened,” Leifson said. “The biggest thing Andy worried about was that he had scared the kids. They were asking what was going on, but there was a feeling of, ‘Go out and do it for Andy.’ “
One example was the talented Orem medley relay team of Trevor Rockey, Remi Hill, Kam Radebaugh and Brandon Williams, which roared to a school-record 3:30.13. That’s the third-fastest time recorded in Utah, just 1.25 seconds behind the state record set by Viewmont in 1992.
“I was in the bullpen when it happened and I had no idea what was going on,” Radebaugh said. “Leifson told us about what happened and said to do it for Andy. I went out and set a PR in my 400 split, more than 1.5 seconds faster than I had ever run a 400. It was a crazy race.”
At the conclusion of Wednesday’s action, Mya and Cameron went to the hospital to see their dad. Mya said that Andy, who is 43 years old, has had some heart issues previously and has been on medication.
“My impression was that he was loopy and drugged up, but in good spirits,” Cameron said. “He was super-happy with how everyone did. He joked that we would win two region trophies (boys and girls) for the first time when he was gone.”
Orem wasn’t quite able to accomplish that feat as the Tiger boys won but Salem Hills used the strength of its field events to beat the Orem girls by 11 points.
During Thursday’s second day of action, Leifson was texting Andy in the hospital with updates after every event.
“He was talking the nurses’ ears off about track,” Mya said. “Track season is his life.”
She added that the support from the Tiger community has been overwhelming.
“I wasn’t at school for five minutes before everyone was asking if I was OK and if he was OK,” Mya said. “We sent a text out Wednesday night to all of the track athletes because he said he didn’t want rumors, he just wanted everyone to know what was happening. There has been an outpouring of love.”
For his part, Mya said her dad is just anxious to see his athletes succeed.
“He said he didn’t know how to put into words how proud he was of everyone for doing so well,” Mya said.
For complete results from the Region 10 track meet, go to runnercard.com.
Boys
1. Orem, 220
2. Salem Hills, 125
3. Spanish Fork, 98
4. Uintah, 67
5. Lehi, 62
6. Mountain View, 22.50
7. Payson, 19.50
Girls
1. Salem Hills, 158
2. Orem, 147
3. Spanish Fork, 89
4. Lehi, 81
5. Mountain View, 73
6. Uintah, 45
7. Payson, 20