Jackson Schwartz knew that if he kept knocking at the door, somebody was going to let him in.
Persistence paid off for the Jefferson City Jays sophomore Saturday, as Schwartz's quest to earn all-state honors was finally realized.
After missing those laurels by one spot during the cross country season, and getting missing out by one spot again in Friday's 1,600-meter run, Schwartz finished fourth in Saturday's Class 5 boys 3,200-meter run.
Schwartz said he wasn't lacking for motivation as he came down the front stretch on the final circuit of the eight-lap race.
"That last stretch, I was just like, "I can't take anything for granted, there might be four guys behind me about to take my all-state spot,'" he said. "I took ninth in the mile Friday and 26th in cross country season, so I finally got over the hump. I put everything I had into it."
More importantly, he was able to shake off the disappointment of Friday's second straight near-miss.
"I just laughed, like, "It's getting a little ridiculous now,'" Schwartz said. "I figured, "If it's in the plan, then (Saturday) I'll go ahead and tackle it.' Fortunately I was able to do that."
The all-state finish was the culmination of a ton of work.
"It's the best feeling," Schwartz said. "I've tried to do all the little things right and at the end, it paid off."
The race featured a 1-2-3 finish for runners from Lafayette: Wildwood, with Austin Hindman winning in 9:11.34. Schwartz finished in 9:35.30.
"It was just a crazy race," Schwartz said. "I went out and wasn't very confident - I was hurting early. But I had my faith and I held on, and it was just a wild ride."
He added he was glad to hit the track after a day that featured its fair share of rain.
"I definitely had advantages being in my hometown - I didn't have to track down here on a bus, and if I needed anything, I could just call my parents and have them bring it to me.
"But it was definitely tough, having to move my chair back into the tent every 15 minutes, trying to stay warm and dry. So it's just an incredible feeling after all the adversity and all the bad weather, to come out here and have a good race."
Schwartz was the lone Jay to compete Saturday, and Jefferson City ended in a tie for 29th in the final team standings with six points. Blue Springs won the championship with 96, while Lafayette: Wildwood was second with 73.
Additional coverage of Saturday's competition:
Lady Jays' Roberson returns to the podium
Helias' Frank has success in her favorite race
Squires' title seals trophy for California
Pair of overall marks fall on final day of state track
Prep Track: Class 3-5 state championship results
Additional coverage from Friday's competition:
Records fall at track and field championships
Roberson claims Class 5 shot put crown
Blair Oaks scores in two events
California's Pickering beats nerves to win title
Southern Boone's Crow advances in two events