Mancos High School senior Destiny Kramer has spent four years diving on volleyball courts and chasing loose balls on the basketball floor. In the spring, she trades hardwood for the high jump pit, where one final leap awaits and the landing is a little softer.
Before the Mancos school record holder hangs up her spikes for the final time, she will get one last hurrah to cap a career as impressive for its versatility as its achievements.
A three-sport varsity athlete for four years, Kramer is a member of the double-digit varsity letter club. Along the way, she has competed at the Class 2A state championships, clearing 5 feet, 1 inch in 2025 to set a new high-water mark for Mancos athletics.
She also played as a key reserve on the 2023 volleyball team that advanced to the Denver Coliseum and the 2024 basketball squad that reached the Great Eight in Loveland.
“I’ve always loved sports, and have always wanted to push myself in every one that I do,” Kramer said.
Last May, Kramer overcame pre-state nerves to “lock in,” as she described it, before clearing 5 feet, a personal best at the time.
“I was ecstatic,” she said. “Then I said to myself, ‘let’s go break the school record.’”
Moments later, she did exactly that, becoming one of the few field-event athletes to peak at the state championships.
Over the past couple of years, Kramer has been a starter on both the volleyball and basketball teams, bringing a familiar intensity to the court. When she returned to high jumping during her junior season, she learned that same energy needed a different approach.
“In basketball and volleyball, being aggressive helps – but with jumping, I’ve really had to slow things down, focus on my breathing, and image my jump before I go,” Kramer said.
Despite the individual nature of many track and field events, Kramer emphasized that her progress has been a team effort. She credits her growth over the past two seasons to a revised approach to the high jump, both physically and mentally.
“One of the biggest improvements I’ve had over the past couple of years, I’ve worked on getting my hand back and really getting an arch, instead of just going flat over the bar,” Kramer said.
Mancos track and field coach Brady Archer pointed to Kramer’s eagerness to learn and relentless energy as the driving forces behind her success in an event she had not competed in since middle school.
“She’s had high expectations for herself, and that carries over to her teammates,” Archer said. “She’s working well with her coaches on going through her progressions, and she’s paying attention to all the little things that are making her better.”
Kramer’s midseason mark of 4 feet, 10 inches at Mancos’ home invitational on Saturday should be enough to earn another trip to the state meet in mid-May. There, the senior hopes to replicate her third-place finish from a year ago while helping the Bluejays chase a San Juan Basin title.
“When I came out for track my junior year, I wasn’t half bad at the high jump, so I kept doing it – and then I learned that I was going to state,” Kramer said. “And since then, I’ve just kept pushing myself to be better.”
Balancing three sports with different demands, Kramer has enjoyed shifting her focus throughout the school year, noting that each season becomes her favorite once it arrives.
“I play all three sports at 100%. I love the atmosphere of my team sports, but also enjoy the individual aspect of track and field,” she said.
In May, Kramer will receive her final varsity letter alongside her diploma, closing out a career filled with accomplishments and memories.
“I have a great support system behind me – my teammates, my coaches,” she said. “The whole journey’s been really great.”
