This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/23/2020 12:00 AMIn her freshman year, Kisha Francois broke East Haven’s school records in the long jump, the 55-meter dash, and the 100-meter dash. As a junior this year, Kisha claimed first place in the long jump at the Class M State Championship to go with a second-place finish in the 55. She’s made All-State in every year of her high school career.
However, as Kisha continues to rack up the accolades, she remains humble. A captain for the Yellowjackets, Kisha is always trying to improve upon her previous performances, regardless of how good her times and distances are.
“Some people call me a track star. I’m far from that. I try my best and I like to stay humble,” says Kisha. “I don’t really like to talk about my accomplishments. Even when I get into a not-so-good mindset, I can pull myself out of it, get my head in the game, and get it together.”
On Feb. 12, Kisha found herself in the finals of the long jump competition at the Class M State Championship. Kisha recorded a leap of 17 feet-3.25 inches to narrowly beat out Barlow’s Mariella Schweitzer, who leaped 17-3, to take home the gold. Kisha was surprised to hear her name called in victory after winning the event by such a small margin.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know I won. I thought I came in second,” Kisha says. “I knew that me and [Mariella] were like half an inch off from each other. I thought that she won it on her last jump, but it turned out that I had won. I was really shocked and really happy for myself.”
Prior to the Class M meet, Kisha finished first in the long jump with a distance of 17-3 at the SCC West Sectional Championship. Kisha’s personal-best for the event is 17-6.5, which she achieved during her freshman indoor campaign.
Kisha also set the school record for the 55-meter dash by running a time of 7.41 seconds in her freshman year. As she transitioned to the outdoor track season, Kisha continued to set records at East Haven by running the 100-meter dash in 12.45 seconds.
“I was kind of shocked with myself. It wasn’t something I expected to do as a freshman,” says Kisha says of breaking three school records. “I just became member of the team. I was trying my best and just kept running.”
While Kisha stays humble, track coach Rusty Dunne isn’t shy about calling her a superstar. Dunne says he knew that Kisha was going to carve out a great career at East Haven from the second he saw her compete. Dunne has seen Kisha continue to get better ever since then and expects her to break more records as a senior.
“I enjoy coaching Kisha and interacting with her every day. I have high hopes for her future after she leaves East Haven,” Dunne says. “Kisha is an excellent athlete and an excellent student. I want her to go to a good school. I know she enjoys track, and I know she wants to run in college. I just hope things continue going how they have been going. She’s a real good kid.”
Kisha says that doing track and field in college is a dream of hers and something that she’s currently pursuing. Kisha has received letters from multiple schools, including Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
While competing for a college track squad is now on her radar, Kisha was actually reluctant to join the team at East Haven in her freshman year. Kisha had participated in the sport at the middle school level, but was unsure if she wanted to continue in high school.
Ultimately, Kisha was encouraged to join the Easties by her two sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth, who were previously on the team. Now, Kisha gets to compete alongside her twin brother Kevin, who’s a member of boys’ track program. For Kisha, the family atmosphere at the track makes her experience with the Yellowjackets that much more enjoyable.
“It’s really cool, even my cousins ran track,” says Kisha. “It’s something we all relate to, and it’s something we all share.”
As she looks toward her senior year, Kisha is striving to win an event at the SCC Championship, while topping the standards that she’s already set for herself. Even though maintaining success in two separate events can be draining, Kisha views track and field as a sport that she depends on as she continues to grow as both an athlete and a person.
“Everybody has their own thing. Track and field is my thing,” Kisha says. “Being able to do that as long as I have has been helpful in a lot of aspects. Even when I’m upset, it makes me want to get better.”