CHANDLER — The annual Chandler Rotary Track & Field Classic is a useful tool for most athletes, coaches and their programs to gauge how successful they might be in the near future come state meet time in May.

The mid-season barometer, so to speak, is usually one of the largest track and field get-togethers every season, giving high school athletes from all over the state a chance to show their stuff.

So when a track and field hopeful triple jumps nearly 6 feet longer than their previous state mark a season ago, that performance can certainly turn some heads.

Jack Mason, a Prescott senior jumper, managed to lift his way to potential Division III favorite come May after recording a 46-foot, 2.50-inch leap in the triple jump event at the 83rd annual Chandler Rotary event March 25.

Mason managed a 40-07.75 leap in last May’s Division III State Track and Field Championships in Mesa, making his improvement in 10 months nothing short of remarkable.

“It surprised me, I didn’t think I’d be close to that,” Mason told AzPreps365.com in a phone interview Friday, April 7. “Maybe 44 [feet], or something. I couldn’t believe it, I was shocked.”

And coming up with that result at one of the largest track events in the spring?

“Doing this at that meet, it’s awesome,” Mason said.

The senior Badger track and field star said he “worked constantly” over the summer with his dad to practice, aiming only to get a little better every day.

“It’s not super complicated, that’s been my motto since junior year. Whatever happens, happens,” Mason said.

To put Mason’s leap into perspective, the three competitors that finished behind him in the elite triple jump event included Nathan Moreno, 44-0.700, Keegan Zaso, 44-07.00 and Domonick Ruiz, 44-01.00.

Zaso competes for Buckeye, an AIA Division II school and Moreno (Mountain Ridge) and Ruiz (Corona del Sol) are Division I athletes.

Mason says competing at the highest level the state has to offer doesn’t make him nervous.

“I go into every meet just like any other athlete. I don’t think too much of it. If you think it’s over. You become too nervous and it’s over,” Mason said, adding that he got into the triple jump event because he was already doing the long jump.

“Before I got into high school, I was a long jumper. I fell under the category of, ‘I mise well do both,’” Mason said. “It was fun, but now I’ve gotten pretty serious, both are competitive.”

Mason took third overall in the long jump at the Chandler Rotary event with a 22-11.00 mark. He fell short of Mountain Ridge leaper Julian King (23 feet) and first-placer Brennen McHenry’s 23-0.750 (Brophy).

The Prescott senior finished fourth at state a season ago in the long jump with a 22-05.25 mark.

To offer more perspective, AIA state record books show that 4A conference record holder Aaron Fox (Sinagua) set his record in 1994 with a 49-1.00 leap.

Prescott is in Division III, but in 4A in nearly all other sports.

Others include Darren Reid of Payson, who holds the 3A state record at 48-8.34 (1991), J.R. Harrison of Tombstone is the 2A record holder at 46-9 (1999) and the 5A best came in at 52-6, which is held by Bryce Lamb from Chandler back in 2009.

Committed to NCAA Division I track and field program Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, Mason also played defensive back for the football team during his time at Prescott and was second team All-Region.

He also likes to mountain bike, kayak and hang around his house.

“My life has been pretty enjoyable for the most part, nothing traumatic. I’ve had a few lucky years in high school,” Mason said. “I’m lucky, I couldn’t be more happy.”

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.