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The letter arrived during Peyton Russell’s junior year, almost catching her off guard.

The envelope, featuring the University of Miami’s recognizable school colors and logo, was quickly opened. Enclosed was a questionnaire – the first steps in the recruiting process.

Enthusiastically, Russell filled it out, her already long list of extraordinary track and field accomplishments easily filling up all the available space, before mailing it back to Coral Gables, Florida.

tumwater auto spaThen came the waiting, which was followed by even more waiting.

Doubt started to seep in. It shouldn’t take this long, should it?

“I thought they lost interest in me,” said Russell, the 2016 Tumwater High School graduate and multiple state champion.

At the same time, Russell was drawing plenty of interest from other schools, but none stood out. The Hurricanes still lingered as a leader despite the lack of communication.

What would it hurt if she were to reach out to them, she thought? The worst case scenario, she thought, was that they would simply confirm their lack of interest and she could cross them off her list and look elsewhere.

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Three-time state triple jump champion Peyton Russell will jump next for the University of Miami. Photo courtesy: Susie Russell.

“They never received anything from me,” Russell said. “It had been a while since I sent it, so I just thought I would contact them.”

The truth is, the interest on the part of the Hurricanes coaching staff was there – very much so. It was Russell’s return letter that wasn’t – lost somewhere by the United States Postal Service as it made its way to Miami.

Once on the phone with the coaches, Russell was immediately sold on the program.

The conversation provided her with all the answers she needed and soon she would visit the campus. If the Hurricanes were her frontrunner prior to the trip, the gap between Miami and any other school was widened by a significant margin once she saw the school first hand.

Russell made it official by committing to Miami.

“The weather was a big factor,” Russell admits with a slight laugh.

Another large draw was the program’s coach, Amy Deem, who has been at the helm of the Hurricanes for 25 years leading the team to 13 conference titles, including last year’s ACC Indoor Championship, and coaching 182 first team All-Americans.

Russell hopes to add her name to that successful trend as she begins the next chapter in her athletic career.

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Peyton Russell stands with brother, Lane, who jumps for Princeton University, following her state meet-recording breaking jump. Photo courtesy: Susie Russell.

When she heads to Florida in August she will bring with her a lofty resume, highlighted by a trio of Class 2A triple jump state championships.

Her final championship may have been the most impressive as she battled a variety of injuries, including back and ankle injuries, throughout her senior season for title No. 3 – becoming just the second female to win three consecutive triple jump titles in the classification.

A year after claiming the crown with a personal-best jump of 40 feet, 8 inches (a 2A state meet record) Russell posted a jump of 37-3 ¾ on her last attempt to dramatically close out her high school career.

It was truly a gutsy performance as Russell, hurt back and all, trailed both Clover Park’s Mykah Okoro and Shorecrest’s Sydney Brandt throughout most of the event before registering her final winning jump.

It was her shortest jump out of her three state triple jump titles – she also won with a jump of 38-0 ¼ as a sophomore – but plenty long enough to place her name among the all-time area track and field elites.

“It was bittersweet,” Russell said about her final meet as a T-Bird. “I really wanted to break my own record, but I was happy to win my third title.”

There to cheer her on at the state track meet was parents, Matt and Susie and brother, Lane, a 2013 Tumwater graduate who jumps at Princeton University.

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Russell’s triple jump of 40 feet, 8 inches stands as the best ever at the Class 2A state meet. Photo courtesy: Susie Russell.

“We’ve always pushed each other,” Russell said about her older brother. “We have this long-standing competition. There’s a 10-foot handicap. His PR is 50-8 and mine’s 40-8. Before that he was at 48-1 and I was 38-1. It’s been pretty even.”

Once she arrives in South Florida, however, one thing may sway a majority in her favor – that being the frequency her parents visit.

When given the choice between spending a little time in Miami or New Jersey, her father already knows the answer.

“We are extremely proud of both them,” said Matt being the diplomatic dad before opting to go with the sunshine. “We will probably lean a little more towards Florida.”

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