Once Commons bought in, the GV track star took off

Kayla Commons was a basketball player. That’s the picture the Golden Valley High star had painted in her mind when she arrived on campus her freshman year four years ago.

At nearly 6-feet tall, Commons was determined to make her mark on the basketball court.

Cougars track coach Jacqueline Wooding had other ideas.

“When I saw her walking around campus her freshman year, I said I have to get that girl on the track team,” Wooding said. “She was predominately a basketball player. I pleaded with her to give track a chance.”

Wooding was persistent. For two years, she badgered Commons every chance she got to give track a chance.

“She asked almost every day, I swear almost every day,” Commons said. “I would just laugh her off. I kept saying, no, I’m a basketball player. I guess I finally gave in. I think I was just tired of her asking by my junior year.”

Commons initially joined the track team to improve her speed for basketball. It wasn’t until late in her junior year that she bought into track fully. She became a star her senior year, qualifying for state in the long jump and triple jump.

Commons stellar season earned her the Sun-Star Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

Just getting Commons out on the track wasn’t enough for her to reach her potential. It wasn’t until she fully bought in late into her junior season that she started to excel.

Commons transformed from someone who was just out there to help her become quicker for basketball into a track and field athlete.

“I think she realized at the end of her junior year to put her heart in it,” Wooding said. “She was dedicated. She finally believed she could do something great in track. For most of her junior year she didn’t love track. She knew it could make her faster for basketball. Her senior year it was like, I am a track athlete.”

Wooding no longer had to convince Commons why she needed to complete all the workouts, especially the tough ones. Commons used to hide from Wooding on the days they did workouts with bands.

Her senior year, Commons used to ask for the bands.

“I bought in 100 percent,” Commons said. “I was out jumping every day, I was working on getting out of the blocks. I was doing everything I could to get better.”

She swept the long jump and triple jump at all three Central California Conference Center Meets and conference championship and won the 200-meter dash all three times she ran it in conference matches.

She finished second at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Finals in the long jump (18 feet, 5.5 inches) and triple jump (38-4).

Her marks the next week at the Master Meet of 38-5 in the triple jump and 18-7 in the long jump propelled her to state.

“I was so happy,” Commons said. “I couldn’t do anything but cry. I felt like I accomplished something. I set a goal and I accomplished it.”

Commons enjoyed her trip to the state meet and relished her opportunity of competing against the top athletes in California.

“The experience was amazing, just being around all the great jumpers,” Commons said. “They were all nice and uplifting. After each attempt they would give me advice to jump farther.”

Incredible when you think how it all started with Wooding pleading with Commons to come out for track day after day for two years.

“I used to think this lady is crazy,” Commons said. “But she knew what she was talking about.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Once Commons bought in, the GV track star took off."