August Parker Cheney Year: Senior Sport: Track Events: Hurdles/Jumps

Less than two weeks after Cheney finished second in the State AA boys basketball tournament, August Parker was second again - but didn’t stop there.

The Blackhawks senior, who made the all-tournament team in Tacoma, long jumped 20 feet to finish second in a dual meet against Rogers. The versatile Parker then won the 110-meter high hurdles and tied for first in the high jump.

Three days later he improved in all three events, winning the high jump (6-4), finishing second in the long jump (21-9) and tying for third in the hurdles (16 seconds) at Ferris’ Big Red Invitational on Saturday.

“I expected myself to do decent at Ferris,” Parker said. “All I needed was a little time.”

He won the two jumps and tied for third in the hurdles, going 16-flat, cutting two-tenths off his earlier time.

“I’m not surprised,” Cheney coach Bruce Abbott said. “He can do anything. Coming off basketball, jumpers have pretty good hops. You have to be careful they don’t get hurt.”

Parker survived easily, shifting gears from basketball to track, just as he did from football to basketball.

Next year’s plans are up in the air, although he would prefer basketball over football.

Abbott said, “He could be a decathlete.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo