Jones keeps record in the family

In 1983, Staci (Finke) Jones broke the New Bremen High School 400-meter dash record by finishing in 59.7 seconds at the regional meet.

Twenty-four years later, her then-sophomore daughter Taylor broke that record with a mark of 59.56 at the Midwest Athletic Conference meet.

Although Taylor's record was beaten this season, it at least stayed in the family and it probably will for the foreseeable future.

Freshman Paige Jones, perhaps sooner than anticipated, established a new school 400 record with a 59.07 at the Cardinal Invitational to take ahold of the mark that her mom and sister had previously held.

"After watching her run last year, I kind of thought it was going to be early," Taylor said. "I wasn't sure if she was going to get it quite yet, but it was pretty awesome when they sent me a picture of her and the time and breaking it. If I wanted anyone to break it, I'm glad it was her."

"(Breaking the record) was (a goal), but I didn't know if I'd get it this year because my meet in junior high last year, the fastest I had ever run was a 1:02," Paige explained. "I didn't think I'd be able to drop four seconds in one year but I did. It's all because of my coach who pushed me and pushed me, and it paid off."

That work has continued to pay dividends for Paige, who has since lowered the record time to 58.94 to win last Saturday's Division III district title in Spencerville.

Paige, a varsity basketball and volleyball player as a freshman, enjoyed a successful track and field career while in junior high, winning four MAC titles (two in the 4x400, one each in the high jump and 400). She placed runner-up in the 400 behind Versailles' Camille Watren at the MAC Meet this season.

The record-breaking run came May 1, when Jones ran a 59.07 on her home track, placing second to Russia's Sierra Heaton, the 400 state champ in 2014.

"Watching her run last year, my husband and I both thought being as tall as she is and having a nice stride, we thought if she would work at it, she would have a good shot at getting it," her mother said. "Did I think that she'd get it this year? I didn't think that, but then the first meet she ran this year, she ran a 60 and that was the fastest she had ever ran. I thought if she's going to run that when it's that cold as a freshman, I thought she could get there. I was very happy."

Staci set the school record in 1983 at the Bowling Green regional meet by running a 59.7. She reached state her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, finishing sixth as a junior.

Staci's name stood in the record books for both the 400 and 4x400 until each was broken in 2007 by Taylor and her 4x400 team. Taylor, a 2009 graduate who now works as an accountant in Gahanna, Christine Schwartz, Lori Timmerman and Amber Niekamp set a new 4x400 record (4:02) on their way to a fourth-place finish at the state meet.

"I thought it was awesome that I finally got it. Obviously, that's what I was working toward. I mean, even if it wasn't her record, it just made it kind of special that it was hers," Taylor said.

"I was your typical proud parent," Staci said. "It's kind of neat when you think that she broke your own record. I mean, nobody else had it. It was a pretty special moment. It was there too long in my personal opinion, but if somebody was going to break it, who else better than your own kid to break it?"

Those three aren't the only record-holders in the family, though. The girls' dad Gary Jones, who serves as athletic director at New Bremen, is the all-time scoring leader in basketball at Marion Local with 1,365 points.

Paige will enter Wednesday's regional meet with the third-fastest seed time in the 400 behind Heaton (57.97) and Dayton Christian's Rebekah Carr (58.87), both juniors. She will also compete in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

"I have three years left. It would be awesome to get to state now," Paige said. "I'm just going to run my hardest and hope I get there but if not, I've got next year and the years after that to come."

But if this year has been any indicator, that state berth might come sooner than expected.