Travis Harken Valley Christian Year: Senior Sport: Track Event: High Jump

In just his second track meet of the season, Valley Christian School high jumper Travis Harken flashed late-season form.

Despite minimal practice, the Panthers senior duplicated his 6-foot-6 school record, established while finishing second last spring in the State B meet.

“I was shooting for 6-4,” Harken said. “I thought it was pretty possible.”

He said he was more surprised about reaching 6-6 last year, after starting the season at 5-8, than doing so again this early.

“I got strong this winter in the weight room, and that helped,” he said. “I didn’t have the technical parts on, but I’m so much stronger, I was able to pull it off.”

There’s a definite synergism between the high jumper and his stepfather, coach and Olympic hopeful Brent Harken, who has tutored him for the past six years.

Like Brent, he has made huge improvement in a short time. But he still has a ways to go to duplicate dad’s 7-foot-1 state title in his only high school season (1980).

“I just try to get him not to have bad habits,” said his coach, concerned less about Travis now than what happens later. “Nobody remembers who jumps well in April,” he said.