SE: Catching Up with Jah Strange of K-State Track & Field
May 05, 2021 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Jah Strange is a senior on the K-State Track & Field team. The California native transferred from Purdue in 2020, joining K-State for his final college season after finishing 12th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump.
Strange, a two-time All-American, also competes in the long jump and sprints for the Wildcats, winning the triple jump at the Jim Click Invite in Arizona last month. He spoke with Austin Siegel of K-State Sports Extra about making the move to Manhattan, adjusting to life at K-State against the backdrop of COVID-19 and what lies ahead this summer.
The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
AS: You're coming down the home stretch of the outdoor season and I know peaking at the right time is so important in this sport. How do you feel about your progress?
JS: It's been good. Coach [Vincent] Johnson is a tough coach, and our offseason and preseason training was difficult for that exact reason - so that when the time came, our bodies would be ready, and we would be tough enough to make it through this stretch. I think he did a great job. For that reason, I feel like myself and my teammates are in a good spot.
AS: I mean the group of athletes you're training with every day is so talented, how important is it to have teammates like that who can push you?
JS: It's been crucial. We've got such a global group from Africa and the Caribbean. The talent is tremendous. Going against Jullane [Walker], who's obviously an amazing sprinter and a jumper as well, that pushes me to make sure I'm being competitive in practice before I go to a meet.
AS: I had the chance to talk with Coach Johnson and he's definitely a very passionate guy. He has this expression about how coaches are only responsible for 20 percent of an athlete's success. What have you learned from him in the short time that you've been here?
JS: Coach Johnson is very passionate. He plays a lot of mind games and it's funny because I feel like I've always been a little bit of a head case in terms of overthinking things and getting in my own head. One thing he's taught me is stop thinking and just do what you've done and what you've practiced. You've competed for years, you've practiced this day in and day out. When a competition comes, it's time to just let it all fly.
AS: Obviously last summer was very disruptive and kind of a mess for everyone, but how did you train and navigate the transfer portal during COVID-19?
JS: It was a mess, like you said. The world was shut down, but I had left Purdue to go home just to be with family. Then, as time went on there were so many unknowns if we were going to get the season back and what was going to happen. I graduated from Purdue, so that was very cool, but I wanted to finish what I started. I didn't want three and half years to go to waste and not be able to compete during my final season.
So, the way things worked out with Purdue, I thought it was in my best interest to hop in the portal and see what other opportunities came up. I got an email from Coach Johnson and we started talking as I started to learn more about K-State. Obviously, I couldn't take a visit or anything, but after learning about the school, the program, and talking with Coach Johnson, I just thought it was a place where I could learn and get better academically and athletically.
AS: I know it was a little different for everyone based on where they're from, but did you just have to improvise workouts? I guess a sand pit for jumping would be pretty hard to replace.
JS: There was a park behind my house, so I could run on grass. In terms of throwing medicine balls, I would just find a rock that was a comparable weight and throw that. It was just kind of making the most of what you've got. Everything was closed and California was hit pretty hard. There weren't a lot of options and to be safe I didn't want to try and push the boundaries too much. I just made do with what I had.
AS: As a California guy, I know the weather in Kansas can be a little unpredictable during the outdoor season. How are you with competing in those conditions?
JS: Funny enough, I think my time at Purdue kind of prepared me well. In the Big Ten you go to schools like Iowa and Illinois where the weather isn't always going to be great. This is actually a little bit of a step up. Some of the weather that we've been dealing with hasn't been ideal, but to go to these Texas meets, I'm loving it. So, it's been a bit of an adjustment but I'm doing well with it.
AS: What were some of the challenges of going through the transfer process, especially in a pretty individualized sport, when you got to Manhattan this summer?
JS: I think one of the most difficult things coming to Manhattan was that I didn't know anybody and those opportunities to get to know people were limited. They wanted to keep us separate and safe. That made it a bit of a tough transition and I didn't really have any in-person classes, everything was online, so I was pretty much just at my apartment or practice. That helped me build a close bond with my coach and a few of my teammates who I was working out with at the time. I think it really helped me focus, so it actually worked in my favor.
AS: Who were some of the athletes you were training with when you got to K-State?
JS: At first, I was training with Wurrie Njadoe and Taishia Pryce. Jullane got there a little bit later.
AS: Coming into the outdoor season, what were some of the goals you had for yourself in a very unique year?
JS: Like any season, I can say that I've improved, so that was obviously the goal. But I want to end it with a bang. I went to the NCAA Championship two years ago, the last outdoor one that they had, so I want to get back there. This is an Olympic year, so I would like to qualify for the trials and compete well there. But the main goal and a recurring theme as I've thought about it is to finish strong. This is the culmination of four years and it seemed like it was in question for a while whether I would be able to even finish it. Now that I have that opportunity, I just want to finish strong.
AS: Has there been a meet this season where you came out feeling really good about your performance? You had a PR in Arizona and you were out there in Waco last month, but what's been the highlight for you?
JS: Arizona was probably the biggest meet. It started out rough but I got a PR in the 100m and then in the triple jump after doing a few events, I was able to come out of there with a PR as well. I don't think I jumped to my full potential there after talking with coach. But to not jump to your full potential and still PR is a good feeling. I walked out of there feeling like I have a lot farther to go this season.
AS: Have you had a chance to think about what those next few years post-college might look like for you?
JS: I've actually interviewed for a few jobs with NBA teams. I've been doing an internship with the NBA for the past five or six months and it's led to some opportunities. Just laying out all my options, but I'm hoping it's definitely something with the NBA.
AS: We're going to have fans in the stands at Big 12s here in Manhattan. Just given everything this team has gone through to compete during COVID-19, what gets you fired up about that meet?
JS: That would be amazing. I'm the type of athlete who feeds off the crowd. To have Big 12s here in Manhattan and have some teammates, friends and family in attendance would be an amazing experience. It should give the whole team a boost.
Jah Strange is a senior on the K-State Track & Field team. The California native transferred from Purdue in 2020, joining K-State for his final college season after finishing 12th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump.
Strange, a two-time All-American, also competes in the long jump and sprints for the Wildcats, winning the triple jump at the Jim Click Invite in Arizona last month. He spoke with Austin Siegel of K-State Sports Extra about making the move to Manhattan, adjusting to life at K-State against the backdrop of COVID-19 and what lies ahead this summer.
The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
AS: You're coming down the home stretch of the outdoor season and I know peaking at the right time is so important in this sport. How do you feel about your progress?
JS: It's been good. Coach [Vincent] Johnson is a tough coach, and our offseason and preseason training was difficult for that exact reason - so that when the time came, our bodies would be ready, and we would be tough enough to make it through this stretch. I think he did a great job. For that reason, I feel like myself and my teammates are in a good spot.
AS: I mean the group of athletes you're training with every day is so talented, how important is it to have teammates like that who can push you?
JS: It's been crucial. We've got such a global group from Africa and the Caribbean. The talent is tremendous. Going against Jullane [Walker], who's obviously an amazing sprinter and a jumper as well, that pushes me to make sure I'm being competitive in practice before I go to a meet.
AS: I had the chance to talk with Coach Johnson and he's definitely a very passionate guy. He has this expression about how coaches are only responsible for 20 percent of an athlete's success. What have you learned from him in the short time that you've been here?
JS: Coach Johnson is very passionate. He plays a lot of mind games and it's funny because I feel like I've always been a little bit of a head case in terms of overthinking things and getting in my own head. One thing he's taught me is stop thinking and just do what you've done and what you've practiced. You've competed for years, you've practiced this day in and day out. When a competition comes, it's time to just let it all fly.
AS: Obviously last summer was very disruptive and kind of a mess for everyone, but how did you train and navigate the transfer portal during COVID-19?
JS: It was a mess, like you said. The world was shut down, but I had left Purdue to go home just to be with family. Then, as time went on there were so many unknowns if we were going to get the season back and what was going to happen. I graduated from Purdue, so that was very cool, but I wanted to finish what I started. I didn't want three and half years to go to waste and not be able to compete during my final season.
So, the way things worked out with Purdue, I thought it was in my best interest to hop in the portal and see what other opportunities came up. I got an email from Coach Johnson and we started talking as I started to learn more about K-State. Obviously, I couldn't take a visit or anything, but after learning about the school, the program, and talking with Coach Johnson, I just thought it was a place where I could learn and get better academically and athletically.
AS: I know it was a little different for everyone based on where they're from, but did you just have to improvise workouts? I guess a sand pit for jumping would be pretty hard to replace.
JS: There was a park behind my house, so I could run on grass. In terms of throwing medicine balls, I would just find a rock that was a comparable weight and throw that. It was just kind of making the most of what you've got. Everything was closed and California was hit pretty hard. There weren't a lot of options and to be safe I didn't want to try and push the boundaries too much. I just made do with what I had.
AS: As a California guy, I know the weather in Kansas can be a little unpredictable during the outdoor season. How are you with competing in those conditions?
JS: Funny enough, I think my time at Purdue kind of prepared me well. In the Big Ten you go to schools like Iowa and Illinois where the weather isn't always going to be great. This is actually a little bit of a step up. Some of the weather that we've been dealing with hasn't been ideal, but to go to these Texas meets, I'm loving it. So, it's been a bit of an adjustment but I'm doing well with it.
AS: What were some of the challenges of going through the transfer process, especially in a pretty individualized sport, when you got to Manhattan this summer?
JS: I think one of the most difficult things coming to Manhattan was that I didn't know anybody and those opportunities to get to know people were limited. They wanted to keep us separate and safe. That made it a bit of a tough transition and I didn't really have any in-person classes, everything was online, so I was pretty much just at my apartment or practice. That helped me build a close bond with my coach and a few of my teammates who I was working out with at the time. I think it really helped me focus, so it actually worked in my favor.
AS: Who were some of the athletes you were training with when you got to K-State?
JS: At first, I was training with Wurrie Njadoe and Taishia Pryce. Jullane got there a little bit later.
AS: Coming into the outdoor season, what were some of the goals you had for yourself in a very unique year?
JS: Like any season, I can say that I've improved, so that was obviously the goal. But I want to end it with a bang. I went to the NCAA Championship two years ago, the last outdoor one that they had, so I want to get back there. This is an Olympic year, so I would like to qualify for the trials and compete well there. But the main goal and a recurring theme as I've thought about it is to finish strong. This is the culmination of four years and it seemed like it was in question for a while whether I would be able to even finish it. Now that I have that opportunity, I just want to finish strong.
LIVE UPDATES
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) April 11, 2021
Jim Click Shootout
Men's Triple Jump
1) Jah Strange - 16.26m/53-4.25
Strange collects the Wildcats' 8th title of the day while posting a PR and the 7th-best mark in school history. #KStateTF pic.twitter.com/ijnlOITk8h
AS: Has there been a meet this season where you came out feeling really good about your performance? You had a PR in Arizona and you were out there in Waco last month, but what's been the highlight for you?
JS: Arizona was probably the biggest meet. It started out rough but I got a PR in the 100m and then in the triple jump after doing a few events, I was able to come out of there with a PR as well. I don't think I jumped to my full potential there after talking with coach. But to not jump to your full potential and still PR is a good feeling. I walked out of there feeling like I have a lot farther to go this season.
AS: Have you had a chance to think about what those next few years post-college might look like for you?
JS: I've actually interviewed for a few jobs with NBA teams. I've been doing an internship with the NBA for the past five or six months and it's led to some opportunities. Just laying out all my options, but I'm hoping it's definitely something with the NBA.
AS: We're going to have fans in the stands at Big 12s here in Manhattan. Just given everything this team has gone through to compete during COVID-19, what gets you fired up about that meet?
JS: That would be amazing. I'm the type of athlete who feeds off the crowd. To have Big 12s here in Manhattan and have some teammates, friends and family in attendance would be an amazing experience. It should give the whole team a boost.
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