Caldera's James Heinly wins the Class 5A triple jump at the state track and field championships May 31 at Hayward Field in Eugene. (Brian Rathbone/The Bullletin)

EUGENE – As it turns out, an athlete does not need perfect form to win a state title in the triple jump. James Heinly proved just that with her form that she admitted could use some polishing.

The lack of technique did not stop the Caldera sophomore from winning the Class 5A triple jump Saturday at the track and field state championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.

She became the first girl in school history to win an individual track and field state title.

Not bad for someone picking up the event just this spring.

“I just found my way through the event,” Heinly said. “I feel like I persevered through it. I wanted to give up a lot of times because it is such a physical event. I was kind of hesitant. I read through all the facts and it was a little scary. But now I am very happy that I did it.”

On Heinly’s second of six jumps, she sprinted, skipped and leapt to the title with a mark of 36 feet, 8.5 inches, just shy of her personal best of 36-11.6. To go along with the triple jump title, Heinly also finished second in the long jump.

Heinly’s jump of 36 feet in her first meet of the season, even though she was unaware if that was a good mark or not, ended any doubt that she would be sticking with the event.

“That was when it became clear that this would be something that I was at least decent at,” Heinly said. “I was undecided but now I know that this is going to be one of my core events.”