A watch party was held for Hartselle’s Quanesha Burks this past Saturday night as she made her Olympic debut competing in the women’s long jump. The watch party was held at the Sparkman Civic Center.

Burks, who is a 2013 graduate of Hartselle High School, barely missed the mark to make it to the final round. Her best jump of three Saturday night was 6.54 meters, putting her in 13th place. The top 12 athletes advanced to the final round.

“I was READY for this day, but not having my best performance (causing) me to miss the finals by one spot really hurts,” Burks posted on Facebook.

“As I sat there crying, upset in the Olympic stadium, at that moment I realized that was a blessing itself to have come this far and even have the opportunity to compete at the OLYMPICS!

“Right now, I’m going to allow the emotions to happen but two things that won’t change is my faith in God and I will forever be an Olympian,” she continued.

“I truly want to thank every single person for the love and support you all have given me on this journey! It has not gone unnoticed and I’m forever thankful.”