Penn Relays: Rancocas Valley high jumper David Godbolt is a leader on and off the track

As a freshman, David Godbolt was cut from Rancocas Valley’s indoor track team. Fast forward three years, and he’s New Jersey’s Group 4 indoor state champion in the high jump. And he’s representing that team he didn’t even make at the Penn Relays.

Getting cut back then, which mainly was because of COVID-19 restrictions on the indoor team that year, did not keep Godbolt down for long. He made the outdoor team a few months later and quickly found his calling as a jumper.

Now he’ll be Rancocas Valley’s only individual representative in the boys’ high jump championship Friday at Franklin Field. It’s a moment Godbolt has been awaiting for a long time, as he missed the cut by half an inch last year and instead went to the Penn Relays as a spectator.

“When I was there, I would watch the high jump,” Godbolt said, “just to know one day I’ll be there.”

Godbolt has been raking in the athletics accolades throughout his senior season, but he also has been honored for his actions away from the track.

Last summer, Godbolt was recognized by the Westampton Township Police for his bravery during an incident at his home in April. A foster child who was staying at Godbolt’s home began experiencing a mental health episode and pulled a knife, threatening to harm herself and the others in the home, according to police.

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Godbolt’s mother was not home at the time. But Godbolt remained calm, sent his sister and foster sister to safety, and communicated with police to help them safely defuse the situation.

Afterward, in addition to the recognition from the police, Godbolt received a proclamation from U.S. Rep. Andy Kim for the way he handled the situation.

“I wasn’t really thinking about, ‘Oh, wow, maybe I can get an article or something like that,’” Godbolt said. “What I was really thinking about was protecting the other foster girl that was in the house and also my older sister. ... I had to take charge.”

Godbolt didn’t tell many people about the honors. Brett Flood has known Godbolt for years as Rancocas Valley’s track coach and as an assistant coach on the football team, where Godbolt was starting free safety. Flood found out about the situation from an email sent out by the school.

None of it surprised Flood at all. Flood said he leans on Godbolt, who is in his second year as track captain, as a mature leader on the team and sometimes will look to him to defuse altercations among his teammates.

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“As good as he is, people know that, and they look up to him,” Flood said. “My expectations for him are a little bit higher than everybody else.”

While Godbolt has experience in high-pressure meets after competing in state championships and the New Balance Nationals, he knows the Penn Relays will be a different beast.

Godbolt’s jumps coach, Akayla Leak, said she’s working closely with him on his preparedness. Leak, who started coaching at Rancocas Valley this year, was a collegiate high jumper at Connecticut and knows what to expect from the atmosphere at the carnival.

“It’s going to be rare empty seats, there’s going to be a lot going on, announcers are going to be loud,” Leak said. “It’s going to be so much going on that you’re going to have to literally zone it out. And it’s you versus that bar.”

Over his high school career, Godbolt has steadily improved year after year, and he thinks working with Leak has helped him make even bigger strides. He cleared his personal best, 6-foot-6, at the state championships in February.

“He has had a lot of moments where it’s been a lot on the line, and he’s competed,” Leak said. “He’s got the job done.”

Godbolt said that in every meet, the aim is to set a personal record, and the Penn Relays will be no different. But no matter what happens on Friday, Godbolt is achieving a goal just by finally competing there.

“This is going to be a memory for him for the rest of his life,” Flood said. “It’s the Penn Relays. Not everybody gets picked for this.”