Nesbitt earns All-America honors

Carl Nesbitt can’t fly, but he certainly can soar.

The rising senior at Vestavia Hills High School earned All-America honors in the high jump this past weekend by finishing in the top six at New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina. Nesbitt cleared the bar at a personal-best height of 6 feet, 8.25 inches to secure a sixth-place finish in the boys championship division.

"Going into it, that was my goal, but I really didn’t think that was too attainable,” Nesbitt said, “because there’s 33 people jumping, you have to finish top six, and I’m going against the best people in the entire country.”

Nesbitt’s previous personal best was 6-8, but he hadn’t jumped that high in a meet since winning the Class 7A state indoor title in February 2016. He credits his breakthrough to a recent stretch of training. After settling for a runner-up finish at May’s state meet, he said he worked harder than ever before in the six weeks prior to New Balance.

He hired a personal trainer. He started lifting weights. He modified his pre-jump mechanics.

On Sunday, his investment paid off. Nesbitt, who is 6-1, cleared bars at 6-4, 6-6 and finally 6-8.25. After the event concluded, he said he found his mother, Carla, on the side of the track and shed a tear on her shoulder.

He had accomplished what he came for. He couldn’t believe it.

“It’s just crazy to think about where God can put you,” he said.  

*A feature story on Nesbitt will appear in the August edition of the Vestavia Voice.