Track and Field has continued to attract many talented athletes, and with the season underway many returning athletes hope to start the season strong. Two of these athletes include junior Maria Matysik and senior high jumper Tate Rasmussen, who are skilled high jumpers with raised expectations and new standards this season. This season, both athletes are striving for new personal records to push their jumping abilities to the next level. After both jumpers qualified for state last year, this year, they continue to set the bar higher.

“My hopes for the season are high. It’s senior year and I’m going for a personal record of a six-foot ten-inch jump,” Rasmussen said. The current Edina High School school record for the high jump stands at six foot nine and a half inches, and Rasmussen hopes to break it for his senior season. “I feel like there’s a lot on the line because it’s my senior season. The other seasons I was just kind of trying it out but this season I’m actually competing for it,” Rasmussen said. 

Similarly to Rasmussen, Matysik is entering this season with her eyes set on a new record. “My goal this season is to get a personal record and set the record for girls’ high jumping here at the high school,” said Matysik. The current high jumping record for girls at EHS stands at five-foot-six inches and a quarter. Last year during the 2023 season, Matysik finished third at the MSHSL girl’s track and field state tournament with a jump of five feet six inches. “State last year was very nerve-wracking but a really cool experience; I was just happy to be there,” said Matysik. 

Looking ahead, both athletes will continue to push their limits as they aspire to jump beyond high school.

Rasmussen will be attending Minnesota State University Moorhead next school year, where he will be continuing to high jump. “I just didn’t want to quit this early. I wanted to do a couple more years with it because I feel like if I quit now it wouldn’t seem right,” said Rasmussen. Entering her junior season, Matysik hopes to keep her options open as she looks into jumping at higher levels. “I’m definitely considering jumping in college. I’m not sure if I want to be a college athlete yet, but it would definitely be a really cool opportunity and it’s a possibility,” said Matysik.

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on April 18, 2024