Family matters

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Matthew Jones said he felt like he was in a unique situation when it came to playing basketball at Medora this past season.

He had two bothers on the team, a twin (Mike) and a younger brother (Skylar).

All three brothers played in the same varsity game several times this past season.

Matthew, who played in both varsity and junior varsity games, said he enjoyed his playing time with his brothers.

This season, Jones split his time between guard and small forward.

“I liked shooting mid-range shots,” he said. He said he enjoyed playing against zone defenses.

Jones said he enjoyed the regular season games, and playing two games in one day in the Edinburgh Holiday Tournament took a lot of energy.

Both Matthew and Mike are members of the track team this spring.

However, they won’t compete in the same events because Matthew runs distance races and Mike throws the shot put and discus.

Matt said he looks forward to running the mile and two-mile this spring.

The senior ran track for four years and cross-country for three.

Because the track and cross-country teams don’t have a track or course to practice on, they run on the streets of Medora and have all their meets on the road.

Jones said the athletes run up and down a hill on the west side of town.

This spring, Jones’ goal is to break the school record in both the mile and two-mile, and he said it is going to take a lot of hard work in order to accomplish that goal.

“We try to push each other,” Jones said of his competition with Zac Thompson. “At the start of the race, I tried to keep up with runners that I knew that had about the same time as I did.”

Jones said early in a race he would run with a pack of runners, and his goal was to move up to be with a pack of runners in front of him.

“I would try to catch those runners,” he said. “I tried to stay consistent.

One of the reasons Jones enjoys running is because of the time spent outdoors.

“I liked being outside,” Jones said. “I enjoyed that. I liked the weather in the middle of the season. Hardy Lake was my favorite course in cross-country.”

Jones said it takes a good mental outlook to succeed in any sport.

“The mental part is a big part, especially in running,” he said. “If you get behind, you have to work hard to move up with the leaders.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Matthew Jones

School: Medora High School

Parents: Joe, Cathy Jones

Siblings: Mike, Skylar

Sports: basketball 4 years, track and field 4 years, cross-country 3 years

Athletic honors: track-mental attitude, cross-country 20 minute club

Organizations: Beta Club, Letter ‘M’ Club

Plans after high school: attend college, study engineering

Favorite singer: Thomas Rhett

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Q: What’s it like attending MHS?

A: “I just know everyone and I like it here. I’ll remember all the fun times we had in school and in sports.”

Q: What was this year’s basketball team like?

A: “Once we got into the season we had a lot of energy because this team expected a lot (of wins). I liked the home games. This was probably the most energy we’ve had for a while and that was good for the school.”

Q: Favorite away gym?

A: “I enjoyed playing against Crothersville.”

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