Tuscola’s ‘Jump Squad’ flies high with Coach Sexson’s steady guidance
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By Ben Crane
In the world of track and field, few events combine raw athleticism and technical precision quite like the long and triple jump. And at Tuscola High School, those events have become something of a specialty — a tradition, even — thanks to a tight-knit trio of jumpers and the man behind their rise: Coach Austin Sexson.
Seniors Rylie Vanausdoll and Kenna Clodfelder have punched their tickets to the IHSA State Finals for the second consecutive year. Fellow senior Kam Sweetnam, a rising force in both events, is eyeing a spot of his own this week at the boys’ sectional meet. Together, the three have not only redefined expectations for jumpers in a small-town program — they’ve built a bond forged in competition, trust, and the unshakeable foundation laid by Sexson.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without him,” Vanausdoll said. “Coach Sexson is probably one of my best friends. I talk to him almost as much as I talk to my parents. He’s helped me not just in track, but in life.”
Each of the athletes came to the sand pits with a different story.
Vanausdoll was once a distance runner and high jumper, but she overhauled her entire athletic identity during her sophomore year.
“I almost didn’t come out for track,” she said. “Coach Sterkel convinced me to try something new. So I stopped running distance, became a sprinter, and started jumping.”
The transformation clicked. She’s now a two-time state qualifier in both long and triple jump, an impressive feat considering she only picked up triple jump last year.
Clodfelder’s path was more familial. Her older sister was a jumper, and her dad made sure the sibling rivalry had a purpose.
“He wanted me to beat all her records,” Clodfelder laughed. “And Sterkel was really committed to helping me do that.”
For Sweetnam, the jump squad was a leap of faith.
“I didn’t even watch track meets before last year,” he admitted. “They said the team needed jumpers to win state, so I gave it a shot. Now, I love it.”
Each found something they hadn’t expected in jumping — control, camaraderie, and constant self-improvement.
“It’s better than running,” Clodfelder said. “Running’s just a straight line. With jumps, you get three tries to beat your last mark. You’re constantly competing with yourself.”
Behind their success is Coach Sexson, a calm but passionate presence whose coaching goes far beyond the runway.
“He watches film constantly,” Vanausdoll said. “He’ll go home and watch videos of our jumps, find drills, send us clips. He’s always trying to find ways to help us get better.”
More than that, he knows how to speak each athlete’s language.
“With Kam, he jokes a lot. With Rylie, he’s calming. With me, he just tells me the truth,” Clodfelder said. “He’ll show me a video and say, ‘You know what you did. Fix it.’”
Sexson’s attention to detail and his ability to read each athlete’s mindset sets him apart.
“I can be really hard on myself,” Vanausdoll said. “He always knows when I need to take a breath. He’ll say, ‘Why are you so stressed out? Just chill.’ And that helps more than anything.”
Sweetnam added: “He makes you want to work hard. He’s reassuring and pushes us every day, but you can tell he really cares. That makes all the difference.”
The athletes say competing at Tuscola means carrying a weight — but a meaningful one. The town rallies behind them. The standard is excellence.
“We have one of the best communities around,” Sweetnam said. “People come to watch us jump. Even people with no connection to the team. That pushes you to be better — not just for yourself, but for Tuscola.”
But success comes with pressure, especially when you’re expected to win.
“We made shirts for sectionals — had pictures of me, Kenna, and Coach [Sexson] on them, and put ‘Jump Squad’ across the front,” Vanausdoll said. “One of our teammates heard someone from another school say, ‘Their shirts probably say they’re going to win.’ And that does put a target on your back. You always feel like you have to be good.”
Still, the jumpers balance that pressure with perspective.
“You want to beat the people in front of you, but you still respect them,” Clodfelder said. “We’ve made so many friends through jumping. You compete hard, and then you cheer for each other.”
Last year’s state meet taught them plenty. Vanausdoll’s long jump didn’t go as planned. She didn’t make finals — an outcome that hit hard.
“I was devastated,” she said. “But it taught me that state isn’t about rankings. It’s about who shows up when it counts. All it takes is one good jump.”
She rebounded in triple jump, finishing sixth with her best mark in prelims.
“This year, I’m treating prelims like finals,” she said. “It’s my last shot. I want to enjoy it.”
Clodfelder said the experience gives her confidence this time around.
“I know what to expect now. The noise, the pressure, the distractions — you just learn to block it out and focus.”
Sweetnam, who narrowly missed state marks last year, but qualified based on placement.
“I didn’t hit the mark in long jump, but got second at sectionals. This year, I feel more prepared. We’ve worked for this. I trust my training, and I trust Coach.”
After state, all three are headed into new phases of life — but their bond with each other, and with Coach Sexson, will remain.
Vanausdoll and Clodfelder are both headed to Parkland College to study nursing. Sweetnam is committed to play basketball at Danville Area Community College and plans to pursue pre-med.
Even with those new paths, they say the memories — and the lessons — of the jump squad will stay with them.
“Coach Sexson is like a big brother,” Clodfelder said. “He came to my grad party, wrote me a note. He’s just a great person. I’m really going to miss him.”
Sweetnam agreed: “He’s done so much for us. He deserves a lot of credit.”
And for Vanausdoll, it’s even deeper than that.
“I tell him all the time — he’s changed my life,” she said. “He’ll say he’s proud of how far I’ve come, but I tell him: I wouldn’t have gotten here without you.”