By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Chasity Cecil can’t do it all, but that’s only because she hasn’t tried it all yet.

The Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers senior track standout has done some events in the past, and then she added some more and she’s open to adding even more.

That type of versatility is something that caught the eye of the Shawnee State Bears and signed her to a letter-of-intent on Tuesday.

“Chasity is an extremely versatile athlete. She’s run cross country for me. She’s ran sprints and 4-by-1 for me, she’s high jump, she’s done a little bit of pole vaulting. Of course, she plays basketball. She can do a lot of things,” said Ironton coach Tim Thomas.

“She’s very low-keyed. Nothing rattles her. She’s pretty focused and she stays on task and gets her work in. She’a tremendous asset to my track team, certainly for three and a half years now. I’ve been lucky to have her around.

“As versatile as she is, she’s helped in other areas and anything I’ve asked her to do. When I ask her to do something she says, ‘I’ll try it” and she goes and gets it done.”

Besides track, Cecil has also played basketball. She said that she has played basketball since the third grade and that she didn’t start track until she began high school.

“I did track and I just enjoyed it. I did high jump and I learned it by myself so I just enjoyed it a little more than basketball,” said Cecil.

High jump is just one of Cecil’s events. She has also ran the 4-by-1 relay, the open 100 meters and the 4-by-4 relay.

“I did pole vault last year but I didn’t do it very long. I just got introduced to it at the end of the year,” said Cecil. “That’ll be another thing I’ll do this year. I love the pole vault. I only did it for two weeks but I think I like it more than high jump.”

Shawnee State has talked to Cecil about participating in the high jump and sprints, but she is uncertain if they have anything else in mind.

“I haven’t talked to them about the pole vault yet,” she said.

Regardless of the event, Cecil said she will prepare for the jump in competition.

“It’ll be more competition and it’ll be harder for sure, but I think it will be funner,” said Cecil.

Cecil has gone 5-foot in the high jump but she has her sights set higher, no pun intended.

“I want to get 5-5,” she said.

Cecil talked with Mount Union and Wittenberg as well as Shawnee State.

“I really didn’t have anyone picked out when I looked into a school. I like Shawnee more than the others. If I had to choose between any of the schools, it would have been either Shawnee or Mount Union,” said Cecil,

Cecil said she is focused on graduating from high school and getting her degree at Shawnee State, but she wants to participate in track all four years at college.

Cecil plans to major in nursing.