Damien Duckworth is more than just a first-team All-District football player.
He is also a proven track athlete participating in the 4×100-meter relay, 4×200-meter relay, 300-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump for the Madison Marlins.
“Damien Duckworth is a good kid, very skilled. Last season he qualified for the area meet in the 300-meter hurdles,” said Madison track coach Kevin Simon.
With no summer track experience, Duckworth decided to continue his football conditioning in track and field and grew to love the sport. As a freshman, he participated in the triple jump and succeeded with a PR of 39 feet.
“Freshman year I focused on races and triple jump and didn’t long jump, but this year I added long jump to the list,” said Duckworth.
As a sophomore, Duckworth jumped 44 feet at the HISD district meet at Barnett Stadium. That jump set his PR for the season and also broke the Madison High School record for triple jump.
“It felt good to get the record after working hard,” said Duckworth.
Damien Duckworth
IG: @certified_.duck
Twitter: @DamienDuck08
Races: 4×100-meter relay, 4×200-meter relay, 300-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump
Height & weight: 5-feet-9, 150 pounds
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artist: M Huncho, Z-Ro, Propain
Favorite subject: Algebra
Shout-outs: Mom, Dad, Coach Simon
At the area meet, Duckworth’s final jump came with a bit of controversy as his jump was marked at 39 feet, well short of what he believed his mark should have been.
“I knew it wasn’t a 39 because the previous jump was further than that, so I knew it wasn’t a 39,” said Duckworth.
A jump at 39 feet placed Duckworth in sixth place and kept him from moving on to regionals. Duckworth and his coach challenged the measurement and after remeasuring with a measuring tape Duckworth was marked as jumping 43 feet which placed him second in the field.
Although Duckworth and his team fell short of advancing to regionals in the other races, Duckworth recalls the important advice echoed by his father and grandfather when looking to stay motivated and inspire the next generation of athletes.
“Anything is possible and money never makes a man,” said Duckworth.
