On Friday night, Scott Carter will be on the biggest stage of his Wyoming track career.

At 6:40 p.m., the Cowboys’ highly-decorated senior triple jumper will step on the runway with the country’s best triple jumpers for the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the famous Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

“It’s going to be a mental game big-time,” says the native of Elizabeth, Colo., who is competing in the Championships for the first time. “But it’s the coolest thing a track athlete can face.  Everyone there is exceptional, and everyone gets a chance on the runway.  I’m going to jump as far as I can, the best I can. I can’t force it, I have to just let myself do it.”

Carter has certainly been doing that in this his final season in the Brown and Gold.  In the NCAA West Preliminary Regional, he produced the seventh-best mark in the country at 53 feet, 0.25 inches.  He has won three individual conference titles in the triple jump (two indoors and one outdoors). He has demonstrated his athleticism and versatility all season long, starring for Wyoming in the long jump, triple jump and hurdles.  

He has the Cowboys’ second-best triple jump mark in history at 53 feet, 4.25 inches.  Ironically the only individual who has posted a better effort is his coach, Quincy Howe. Howe set the record of 54 feet, 4.75 inches for the Cowboys in 2002. The relationship those two have has been well-documented. It’s very special to say the least. Carter credits his coach for all that he has accomplished as a Cowboy.

“I have the utmost respect for him,” says Carter. “He has a great passion for the sport like I do, and I believe that’s why the relationship developed.  We think alike."

“He totally rebuilt my triple jump.  When he came back to coach at Wyoming, I was jumping 50 feet, but I could not get any better.  He watched me, and told me to move my arms more aggressively.  I worked on it for eight months.  It was a frustrating junior year at times, because I was really working at it, but wasn’t jumping very well.  He told me to keep working hard, and believing."

“He told me I would have to get worse to get better, so he had to break me down to build me up.  ‘Be patient and have trust’ he always told me.  He also told me to get physically fit and lose weight.  It was very difficult mentally, but I never doubted him, and all of that advice has paid off. Things really started to click my senior year."

“We do talk about his record,” Carter continues.  “He tells me if I move my arms, I will break the record, not his record.  That’s the kind of guy he is, he never says ‘my’ record.  He always says ‘the’ record.  And, believe me, he wants me to break it.”

Carter dedicated himself to doing those things.  His commitment to a healthier diet, and more work in the weight room has been successful, obviously. Over the past two seasons he has lost 25 pounds.  “The weight loss, getting stronger, and my arm action have been the biggest keys for me.  Those factors took me from a junior year of frustration to a senior year when I have been jumping how I dreamed of jumping.  Quincy taught me to believe in what I’m doing, have fun, and have a ‘live-in-the moment’ perspective."

“I never would have been where I am without him.”

Carter redshirted during his freshman indoor season (2013).  He also redshirted for an outdoor season (2016) after he had won one of his Mountain West championships. “I went into his (Quincy) office and asked him if I could redshirt.  I wasn’t really healthy (knee and ankle) even though I had won the conference.  A lot of coaches probably wouldn’t have let me do that.  But he put his trust in me to come back stronger.  The redshirt and the break helped me get healthy.  It paid off.  I’m so appreciative that he allowed me to do it.  Just another reason why I respect him so much.”

Howe actually recruited Carter before leaving the Wyoming program to coach for two years at West Texas A&M. He returned to UW in 2015.  “I would say that my marks as a junior in high school weren’t D-I caliber.  But when I came on a visit to Wyoming, Quincy treated me as if I was his number one guy.  Everyone treated me so well.  Within four hours of my visit I knew I was coming here.”

It was during his senior year of high school that things began to fall into place for Carter.  “I really had a good senior year,” he says.  “A lot of ‘big’ schools came at me.  But because Quincy and Wyoming believed in me and I enjoyed being here so much, I stuck with my decision. I could have gone to some schools who wanted me to play football (cornerback) as well as track.  In fact, some wanted me to play football only.  But my heart was in track.  I don’t regret my decision for one moment.”

It was actually Carter’s sister, Kelly, who got him interested in jumping, way back in middle school. “She was a jumper, so I thought that maybe I could do that. I was about 5-3 and 90 pounds in middle school, and certainly not a freak athlete.  But no one was doing the triple jump, so that’s where I went.  I really grew to love it in high school, and finally grew into my body during my senior year.” 

Carter is a UW graduate in communications and journalism.  Once this NCAA event is over, his track career is over.  He already has a job at Pope John Paul II High School in Olympia, Wash. He will be the recruiting and communication (new media) coordinator there.  

“I’ve dedicated 12 years of my life to track.  I’ve lived in Colorado and Wyoming all my life, so this will be a totally new experience.  I’m excited to be a ‘has-been’ and be the best I can at my new career."

“But being involved in athletics is the best thing I could have ever done.  Being able to compete for Wyoming has been very special.  While I was at the qualifying meet in Texas, a guy came up to me after my jump and said, ‘I didn’t expect that from you, a guy from Wyoming’.  That was a very special moment for me, because he’s number one in our event from USC. This place has changed my life in so many ways.  I want to do well in this meet for me, of course, but I want to do it more for my teammates, and for Wyoming. I want to be on that podium representing Wyoming.  If I do well, I know I would impact this state, and make these people proud."

“I will miss this place terribly, and I will miss Quincy.  But I know I will always be able to reach out to one of my best friends.”