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06/21/2018 12:00 AMKisha Francois had a fantastic freshman year with the Yellowjackets’ indoor and outdoor track squads. Kisha found her form and competed at a high level for both teams, while setting a few school records along the way.
During the indoor season, Kisha broke East Haven’s school record in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.46 seconds and set the long jump record at 17 feet-4 inches. With the outdoor team this spring, she ran a time of 12.45 to set the record in the 100 and also broke the school record for the long jump by reaching 17-5.25.
While Kisha was happy to make a great debut in East Haven, she’s already thinking about what lies ahead during her next three years.
“It felt good, but I’m not one to talk about my accomplishments,” says Kisha. “I didn’t think I’d do that well. I want to keep doing this. I can keep practicing and get better.”
Track Coach Rusty Dunne was not only impressed with Kisha’s school-record performances, but also her ability to rack up plenty of points during dual-meets with her versatility. Dunne knows that Kisha has what it takes to be a special athlete for the Yellowjackets.
“I think she can do anything. I think she can do the javelin, high jump. We’re talking about her possibly doing the heptathlon next year. She’s one of the best we’ve ever had already,” says Dunne. “She scored 209.25 points. There have only been a handful of girls that have done that. That’s like hitting 70 home runs and that means you have to win your events almost every time, and that’s what she’s done. She qualified for the State Open in the 100, and that’s really hard to do for anybody.”
Kisha fared very well for the Easties during her postseason meets this year. In the winter, Kisha took first place in the 55 and the long jump, while setting school records in both events, at the SCC West Sectional Championship.
Kisha won the 100 at West Sectionals during the outdoor season, after which she placed third at the SCC Championship and fifth in the Class M State Championship to qualify for the State Open. In the long jump, she was second at sectionals, eighth in SCCs, second at states, and seventh in the Open.
Now that her first postseason go-round is in the books, Kisha hopes to do even better in the coming years.
“It was something different, because I’ve never been to one before. It was much more serious than the [regular-season] meets, so it’s something I’ve got to get used to,” Kisha says. “It’s good to know I’m adding to the team as an individual.”
Kisha got involved with track at an early age as a result of her sisters’ influence. She started doing track in middle school, and that proved hugely beneficial when it came time to step on the high-school stage.
“My older sisters were on the track team in high school and they were always showing me things about track, so I was always had an interest,” says Kisha. “They showed us how to do the throws and jumps, and I knew the long jump was the event for me.”
Coach Dunne knows that Kisha has plenty of natural ability, although he also notes that she displayed an excellent work ethic throughout her freshman year.
“She never missed one single minute of practice since Dec. 2, which is the first day of the indoor season. She’s the only one on the guys’ and girls’ team for that to be the case,” Dunne says. “She’s a hard worker and she’s driven. You can say something one time and she’ll try to apply it. She’s just an excellent learner.”
With an eye toward her sophomore season, Kisha says there’s something she wants to work on to help maximize her potential.
“I need to be focused more and watch what I eat,” says Kisha. “Your body puts out what you put in, so I need to try and eat better.”